Secret Allies and Threatened Worlds
by Andi Mason
Summary: The universe of the Mighty Ducks has been infiltrated by people from our world. Friends and enemies arise from this mixing of worlds. I do not own the Mighty Ducks or any other trademarked characters mentioned in this story. Chapter 15 and the Epilogue have been published to finish the story!
1. Chapter 1

**Unlike some of my other fan fiction, this is not a story where you select choices and strive for different endings. It follows a regular narrative structure. I may go back to the choice-oriented story in the future, but I'm taking a break from that to finish this one first.**

 **I do not own the Mighty Ducks or any other trademarked characters mentioned in this story.**

* * *

Chapter 1

"Good evening, this is Melody Monroe with your news. Tonight, we'll get answers to questions like: What is OtherEarth, Inc.? And what will it mean for us?"

The brunette news anchor smiled at the camera before briefly turning to the three people sitting for the interview. All of her guests were humans, but two of them lacked a certain cartoonish vibrancy that Melody and her other guest possessed.

"I have with me a representative from the Off-World Agency, Roy McNabb, and two special guests from another dimension, Chase Farrow and Vivian Rykks. Let's begin with the Agency's role in all of this. Roy, could you tell us a bit about the process it took to arrive at OtherEarth, Inc.?"

The stout individual in a suit nodded and smiled as he said,

"Well, it really came from the initiative of driven outsiders like Chase and Vivian here, but as many know, Off-World Agency began four years ago when a rift opened up that allowed humans from another dimension to enter our world. Our agency was created to work with them. We take them through a registration process and help them become part of our society."

"But OtherEarth, Inc. is a collective effort from many of these strangers to our world, which allows them to give back to their new home. Is that right, Chase?"

"Indeed it is," the younger man answered. "We've accepted the term 'outsiders' as a designation for our people, but we are hoping to change that perception by offering a variety of services through OtherEarth, Inc."

"What kind of services?"

Chase looked to Vivian, who said,

"Well, some of us have developed certain powers since our arrival to your world. Chase and I are quite talented when it comes to healing, for example. Others can use their powers to help protect someone lacking the strength to defend themselves."

"Or say you need something made for you, we have skilled builders, or some of us can provide electrical charges if you need something powered up," Chase added.

"And from what I've seen these skills all seem quite magical," Melody said enthusiastically. "So OtherEarth, Inc. will be a place anyone can go to seek help from those of you with these skills?"

"Yes, it's an excellent way for our friends from another dimension to make a place for themselves in this world," Roy McNabb said.

"But there have been rumors that the Agency has had to deal with some dangerous outsiders who have destructive powers. Can you comment on this, Roy?"

The stout man appeared slightly less at ease.

"There have been a few who had an excess of power for whatever reason and an inability to control it. Those outsiders were unregistered with the Agency, which is a violation of the law. But we have taken care of any such problems."

"Yes, and all of us at OtherEarth, Inc. are registered and are quite safe," Chase assured the news anchor with a smile.

* * *

One Year Later

Wildwing walked down the pristine white hallway with young man scrolling through a tablet and talking into small microphone on his headset. Even on the Aerowing, the flight had taken several hours to reach the city of New Haven where OtherEarth, Inc. had established their headquarters.

"Sorry, we get a lot of calls to manage here," the outsider clerk said, looking back at Wildwing. "Our records indicate you requested a healer?"

"Yes, my friends have been sick for some time. I called weeks ago about an appointment, but I never received a date."

The young man sighed.

"Our healers remain rather busy. Getting placed on the schedule can be almost impossible," and then he added in a low tone. "Unless you know how to get their attention that is."

He rubbed his fingers together, and Wildwing frowned.

"Look, I know I don't have an appointment, but will it cost me anything just to talk to them today?"

The outsider shrugged.

"You can probably get a free five-minute consultation. I'll take you up there, and you can see what happens."

He led the way to an elevator, and once it began moving upwards at a smooth and steady pace, Wildwing watched the lights blink for each level until they reached the highest floor. Once they stepped out, the desk clerk led Wildwing to a secretary.

"Janice can direct you to the offices for healers."

Then he left Wildwing and started a call with another client. Approaching the desk in the lounge, Wildwing said,

"I'm looking for a healer."

"Do you have an appointment?"

"No, but…"

"Everyone's out to lunch at the moment, but you can wait over there," Janice said without looking away from her computer.

Wildwing buried his impatience and took a seat in one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs in the lounge. He waited half an hour before the elevator opened up again, and six outsiders stepped out, chatting together.

They all seemed to be in their twenties or thirties, and it looked like they had expensive taste in clothes. He stood up as they started to pass through the lounge, and he began to try to speak to them.

"Sir, you'll have to wait for a consultation," Janice said, interrupting him as she stepped out from behind her desk.

The humans noticed him and stared derisively. Wildwing felt the condemnation of the label _freak_ in the sting of their glances. None of them seemed to have any recognition of who he was.

"I'm just looking to speak with a healer."

A dark-haired man with fair skin smiled and stepped forward.

"We're all healers on this floor, but we can talk in my office," he said as he dismissed Janice. "I'm Chase Farrow."

Janice backed off and the other outsiders moved on, seemingly bored. Wildwing followed Chase as he walked down the hall without waiting for a response.

When they entered his office, Chase gestured to a seat as he settled into his own tall, cushy chair behind his desk.

"So tell me about your situation, uh Mr. …."

"Wildwing Flashblade. I lead the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim."

"Mighty Ducks, and what is that?"

"I guess you're not a hockey fan. We play hockey and fight crime."

"And you're what? Mutants?"

Wildwing's brow furrowed.

"No, we're ducks from another universe. Aliens, not mutants."

"Sure, aliens," Chase said skeptically. "Why do you need a healer?"

"My team, and other people, in Anaheim have been suffering from some kind of sickness. It weakens them … it may even kill someone if some cure isn't found. None of our doctors can do anything to help us."

"Your team? How many of you are there?"

"I have five other team members. Some of them are worse off than others."

Chase drew in a breath between his teeth. The sound grated on Wildwing's nerves.

"Five patients. That raises my fee quite a bit. And of course, I could not help others in your little town without more compensation."

"How much for my teammates?" Wildwing pressed.

Chase considered it for a moment, and then he wrote a figure down on a notepad and passed it to Wildwing. The duck's eyes widened.

"We don't have that kind of money."

"Then you have quite a problem," Chase said without appearing concerned. "To accomplish what you're asking requires a lot from one of us. All we ask is fair compensation."

"I knew I'd have to pay for your help. But this is an absurd amount."

"And yet, others have managed to pay. Of course, they only had to seek help for one or two people. You're asking a lot with five."

Wildwing stood up.

"There are other healers in this building."

As he started for the door, Chase said,

"Don't expect to get a better deal. But go on and try if you're willing to waste your time."

Wildwing walked out and closed the door behind him. He expected high prices here, and he was ready to pay whatever he could to save his friends, but that amount was just not something he could manage.

Yet, as he went around to the other healers, they all responded in a similar manner. Some even asked higher prices as if sensing his desperation. Wildwing finally walked back into the lounge with clenched fists. Janice eyed him disdainfully.

"I'll see myself out," he said as he walked to the elevator.

Wildwing's anger faded to despondency as he was transported to the first floor. This had been his last hope. Nosedive and Tanya were getting particularly bad. If they didn't get help soon… maybe he would have to sell the Pond and then try to come back and buy help. But OtherEarth, Inc. might raise their prices even more if he returned seeming desperate. And where would his team live if they sold the Pond?

He began to walk slowly through the lobby to the front doors of the building. Everything else around him was just a blur, but his peripheral vision finally drew his attention to a blonde-haired young woman walking parallel to him. She glanced in his direction, but then she quickly looked away; yet she was matching his pace from several feet away.

She was dressed in the simple clothes of a custodian, and Wildwing looked back to see a cleaning cart left abandoned by a pillar. He kept walking and when he reached the main doors, he noticed that she exited too. She was an outsider like everyone else who worked at OtherEarth, Inc., but Wildwing couldn't help wondering why he was being tailed by a janitor.

When they were both outside, he slowed his pace, but she kept walking to a large oak tree ahead of them. Then she stopped beneath it and faced him. Wildwing walked over to her and halted under the shade of the oak's branches.

"If you wanted to talk, why not speak to me in there?"

She smiled, and he noticed the warmth of her gold-flecked brown eyes. There were a few freckles on her face, noticeable even in the shade. Like all outsiders, the brightness of her skin and hair was noticeably less vibrant than those of his universe. He had heard outsiders speak of this world as one that seemed to be colorfully animated, and all outsiders stood out like dull figures in front of a paint-splattered canvas.

"In that building, I'm just part of the cleaning crew," the girl said. "They'd get suspicious if I talked to customers. Out here, I'm taking my break. And we're not being watched."

"What do you want?"

"This is really about what you want," she said. "You came here for something. Something important, I'm guessing. But judging from the look on your face, they demanded a price you couldn't pay. Am I right?"

Wildwing dropped his gaze. Why did he need to go over all of this again?

"Yes, it was too high. Do you have any tips?"

"Well, what did you ask for?"

"My friends are sick. And there's several of us, so the cost of service was pretty high."

She considered that but did not appear surprised.

"Look, I need to be going. I've been gone too long already," Wildwing said as he started to turn away.

"Wait," she insisted, moving in his path. "Won't you at least hear my offer first?"

Wildwing stared at her with a scrutinizing gaze.

"You're a healer?"

"I can help your friends, yes. And I know what you're thinking. Why would a janitor be able to help? I know I don't have an impressive office or my own set of recommendations."

Wildwing looked around them. Why was she pulling him aside out here if she had abilities?

"If you have powers, wouldn't you be sitting in an office instead of cleaning floors?"

She moved closer to the trunk of the tree with a cautious gaze as she looked around them again.

"There's a lot that goes on here that you don't know about. After what you saw today, you've got to realize that the jerks in the offices didn't get there because they love the joy of helping others."

Wildwing silently acknowledged that point.

"But I do have powers despite my career choice," she insisted. "And you can afford me."

"So what's your price?" Wildwing asked crossing his arms. He wasn't surprised it was coming back to money again.

"Just take me with you back to Anaheim, and let me stay at the Pond for a few weeks," she said. "And after I help your friends, you mustn't tell anyone about my powers."

Wildwing's arms dropped to his sides.

"You're telling me that you don't want to be paid? And how did you know where I was from?"

"I know who the Mighty Ducks are," she said with a flicker of a brief smile. "And I want no other payment than what I just asked for. And if it turns out that I'm not able to help your friends as I said I could, then you lose nothing. You can kick me out, and I'll leave you alone."

Wildwing hesitated. The deal sounded a little too good.

"And if you don't have powers …or they aren't strong enough to heal my friends, then I'm back to square one and I've lost precious time."

Her expression became solemn and determined.

"I won't waste your time. And isn't it better to take a chance with me than to go back with nothing?"

Wildwing glanced back at OtherEarth, Inc. gleaming in the sunlight. The building towered over them, casting a long shadow across the parking lot. When his gaze turned back to her, the young woman stood waiting for his answer. Wildwing sighed.

"My ride's just a few blocks over."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Grace Elloch, for that was the outsider's name, called her boss from the Aerowing and announced that she was quitting immediately as they flew out of New Haven. Wildwing listened in surprise, and when she finished her call with her outraged boss, he said,

"You could have waited until after we reached Anaheim to do that. What if this doesn't work out?"

"It will," she said confidently. "You're going to be glad you left with me instead one of those cheats from upstairs."

"So you're Grace. I'm Wildwing," he said. "But I guess you knew that."

She smiled and nodded.

"You watch hockey?"

"I did, but your team hasn't played for over a month. I'm sorry you had to forfeit some of your games."

Wildwing gripped the control wheel of the Aerowing a bit tighter.

"It was not what we wanted. But I couldn't ask my teammates to play in their condition. They were starting to get seriously injured during our last games."

Grace listened quietly. She remembered seeing the other teams begin to take out the ducks too easily on the ice.

"How have you managed to keep going?"

"I'm not sure why it affected the others more than me at first, but soon I was the only one well enough to travel and look for a cure. I've been to see so many doctors, but when I described the symptoms, they all said that they've only known their patients to recover after seeing a healer from OtherEarth, Inc."

His passenger sat in silence and for a few moments neither of them spoke. Eventually. Wildwing glanced at her again and asked,

"You just like hockey in general, or was there some other reason you watched our games?"

A little color came into her face.

"I'm mostly a fan of your team," she admitted. "I really don't know that much about hockey. I started watching your games here, because I watched your show in my world."

"Oh, you caught that? I got the feeling most outsiders hadn't seen it."

"Some of them know next to nothing about this world anyway," she scoffed.

"So why do you want to stay at the Pond after you help us?" Wildwing asked. "And why are your powers a secret?"

She smiled.

"You're still doubting that I have powers, aren't you?"

Wildwing didn't answer.

"Do you know what it means for one of us to get a position like those jerks in the offices?"

"Registration," Wildwing answered with a shrug.

She watched him and said, "You say that like it's just signing a few forms."

"You're saying there's a reason why they have to charge all of that money for services?"

"No, there's no justification for that. But I am saying that they have to go through tests. Their powers have to meet a certain criteria, and if they don't, then usually things do not end well."

"The government and the Off-World Agency just wants to make sure their powers are safe," Wildwing said. "I'll tell you right now that I've got some concerns about letting you near my teammates. Even if you do have powers, they might not be something you can control. My friends could end up worse than they are now."

He expected her to take offense, but her gaze appeared sympathetic.

"I understand your concerns, but that won't happen. I can help your friends."

* * *

When Wildwing landed the Aerowing inside the Pond, he felt a renewed sense of urgency to go and find his teammates. This whole trip had taken longer than he had expected. Grace followed him without needing any urging. She appeared to understand how serious this was to him.

As they walked through the halls of the Pond, Grin found them. He appeared weary himself. His shoulders sagged, and his face looked drawn.

"How are the others?" Wildwing asked quickly.

"Everyone's in their bunks. Nosedive and Tanya won't wake, and Duke and Mallory are almost too weak to stand."

Grin put his hand to the wall to steady himself. Wildwing reached out to him.

"You're struggling too, Grin."

"Yes, but help is here," Grin said hopefully, turning to the stranger beside Wildwing.

Grace shot a smile at him, but then she turned to Wildwing.

"I would prefer to have everyone in one room. If I help you, can we get them moved?"

Wildwing nodded.

"Can you get to the infirmary, Grin?"

The big duck nodded.

"We'll get the others and meet you there."

Grin began to slowly make his way down the hall.

"I can carry my brother and Tanya to the infirmary in a couple of trips. But maybe you can help Duke and Mallory walk there?"

He showed her quickly how to get to their rooms and then the infirmary. He also passed a device to her that would allow her to open the doors to their rooms.

"I got it. See you there," she said.

Grace went first to Mallory's room, and she found the redhead lying on her bunk.

"Are you the healer?" Mallory asked.

"Yeah, come on, we're getting everyone together," Grace explained as she helped pull Mallory up.

As Grace's hands held onto Mallory's arms, the duck's head lifted a little higher.

"I almost felt slightly better there for a moment," Mallory said.

"Good, 'cause I'm not carrying you," Grace said with a smile as she let Mallory lean on her.

They made their way to the infirmary as Wildwing carried Tanya down the hall. Then Grace went to find Duke. When she entered his bunk, she found him sitting against the wall on the floor.

"Wing found someone," he said faintly when he saw her.

"Yes, he did," Grace said as she drew him up.

She wrapped an arm around him and let him lean against her for support. Duke's good eye opened a little wider.

"My head's a little clearer now. Did you do that?"

"I do what I can," she said. "But I'll do more when everyone's in the same room."

By the time Grace reached the infirmary with Duke, Wildwing was laying Nosedive down on a bed. All of the other ducks were there, and Grace had Duke sit in one of the chairs.

Wildwing stepped back from them and watched her with a cautious gaze. He had heard of healings before, but he had never seen one happen. And he still wasn't sure if he had made the right decision.

Grace noted his gaze, but she walked forward and raised her hands with the palms facing out and up towards the ducks. She closed her eyes for a moment, and Wildwing saw light begin to visibly appear above her palms in strange wisps. When Grace opened her eyes again, they shone with a bright light, and the power above her hands began to radiate out towards the ducks. At first, it seemed to expand slowly, and then Wildwing saw it burst forth with intense speed. It surrounded his teammates, and the brightness of it felt blinding to him.

But when the light cleared, Grace had lowered her hands, and her eyes had returned to their normal appearance. Wildwing moved quickly to his teammates, but Duke and Mallory stood up at once. Grin also rose, and Nosedive and Tanya sat up from the beds.

"Talk about a boost of energy!" Nosedive said with a grin as he pushed himself off of the bed and embraced his brother. "That was awesome!"

"I had no idea humans could do something like this so quickly," Tanya said as she saw Grace.

"Weeks of struggling, and I finally feel like myself again!" Mallory said.

Wildwing looked around at his teammates, and his spirits lifted as he saw how well they looked.

"How did you find this girl, Wing?" Duke said as he walked over and shook Grace's hand gratefully.

"Actually, she found me," Wildwing said smiling.

Mallory's smile faded.

"How much does this cost? I mean, it's not that I'm not grateful, but well, I've heard things."

Wildwing walked back to Grace.

"So your terms. You want to stay here for two weeks, and we're not allowed to tell anyone about your powers. That was our agreement."

"Wait, what?" Duke asked in surprise, but Wildwing motioned for him to hold off on asking questions.

"Yes, that is what I asked for," Grace said. "But if you don't want me here, I can leave in a few days. I'm just asking you to keep my secret."

Wildwing shook his head.

"Don't you realize that if you asked for money, I'd pay you what I could?"

"I don't want your money," Grace said firmly. "I did this to help you."

Wildwing smiled and reached out his hand. As he was not dressed in his armor, it was uncovered, and Grace took it with both of her hands and closed her eyes as she held onto him. Light briefly passed from her hands into him, and then she released his hand.

"You may not have faded as far as your teammates, but I could see you needed some help too."

Wildwing looked down at his hand, feeling much stronger and clear-headed than he had felt in days.

"Thank you."

She nodded.

"As I said, I'll go if you don't want me to stay."

"Of course, we want you to stay," Duke interjected. "Wing, we're not gonna let her leave, are we?"

Wildwing looked from his teammates to Grace.

"You could always stay longer than two weeks," he said. "But I'm going to hold you to the two weeks, since that was our agreement."

Grace smiled.

"All right, then we'll talk. You may be tired of me by that point."

"Not likely!" Nosedive scoffed.

* * *

During the first couple of days, some of the ducks watched Grace, waiting for something to go wrong. Her deal had just been too good. _There has to be some kind of catch_ , Mallory thought to herself. But she never saw anything to concern her. Grace was never demanding or troublesome. She seemed to truly admire the ducks, and if she had other powers beside healing, there was no sign of them.

On the fourth day of her time with the ducks, Tanya drew Wildwing and Mallory aside to talk with them in her lab.

"I'm really glad you found Grace, Wildwing, so don't take this the wrong way. But there is something that worries me about her."

"And what is that?"

"Well, I did some research on outsiders using their powers. And in all of the cases documented, it seems to take quite a bit out of them. It can depend on what the situation is. But think about it. She healed five of us at the same time! She didn't even seem a little tired afterwards. And didn't I even hear her offering to go out and help other people in Anaheim?"

Wildwing remembered Grace's conversation with him from yesterday where she expressed a desire to find a way to secretly use her power to help the rest of the town.

"Why is it again that she wants us to keep her powers a secret?" Mallory asked, turning to Wildwing.

"She didn't seem to like the registration requirements from the Off-World Agency. But maybe I should talk to her about it again."

"What requirements concerned her?" Tanya asked.

"She said that powers had to meet 'certain criteria'. It sounded like she knew hers wouldn't, and she didn't want to punished for it."

Tanya grew quiet and thoughtful.

"What is it?" Mallory asked.

"I know you told us that you doubted that she had any powers at first, Wildwing, but now I'm thinking it's the opposite," Tanya said. "It sounds like she has too much power. She wants her abilities kept a secret because something could happen to her if anyone found it."

"Like what?" Wildwing asked.

"Well, if people think she's a threat, they'll…" Tanya broke off.

"They'll try to eliminate the threat," Mallory finished grimly.

* * *

An hour later, Grace sat quietly in the rec room as she listened to Wildwing explain his prior conversation with Tanya and Mallory. The other ducks sat silently around her.

"We agreed to keep your powers a secret," Wildwing said. "And we will. You've been a good friend to us, Grace. But I want you to be honest with us. Is _this_ the reason you want your powers to be a secret?"

She remained still for a few moments and did not answer, and Nosedive interjected,

"Bro, what are you saying would happen to her?"

"I don't know exactly what would happen," Wildwing answered.

"They'd kill me," Grace said bluntly. "Or at least try to kill me. And keep me imprisoned until they could figure it out."

"That might not be their first move," Tanya said, trying to be a bit more optimistic.

Grace shook her head.

"They can't just execute you," Duke protested.

"You guys are aware of a character named Superman that we have comics and movies about in the world I come from, right?" Grace asked.

"Sure, yeah, we know about that guy. We just can't mention him unless we wanna get sued for trademark infringement," Nosedive said with a wink and smile.

Grace laughed and continued, "Well, everyone knows Superman's reputation as a hero, but that doesn't mean people never freaked out about his powers. And kind of like me, he got his powers from living in another world. I think the reason given was the Earth's sun or something like that, but anyway, the amount of power he had scared people in some of the stories I heard."

"That doesn't mean they jumped right to trying to kill him," Mallory said.

Grace shrugged.

"Depends on which story you've heard. But my point is, if the Off-World Agency knew how much power I had, there's no question they would try to destroy me."

"How much power do you have?" Duke asked hesitantly. "I thought you were just a good healer."

Grace stretched out her hand towards the tv remote on the table in front of them. It was lifted up in the air by an invisible force, and suddenly, it contorted into a different black shape. Then it transformed from a solid to a liquid, the black substance flowing in strange shapes in the air. It changed from black to blue and then to yellow. It became a sphere and then completely flat. Finally, it shifted back into its original form and landed back on the table, a regular tv remote again.

Looking at the surprised gazes of the ducks, Grace answered with a soft, yet honest tone,

"I can do just about anything I want."

* * *

 **Please leave reviews! Even if you don't have much to say, I enjoy the comments, and I like to know what readers are thinking.**

 **I already have the next chapters almost completed, so it won't take long to publish more. I'm planning to try to post more each week until it's finished.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"I can do just about anything I want."

Silence filled the room following Grace's announcement. Her demonstration had made its point. She sat patiently as her words sunk in.

"You've never come up against any kind of limit to your power?" Tanya asked. "Anything you couldn't do?"

Grace responded with a half-smile.

"Well, I've not tried everything. But all I have to do is concentrate and will something to happen, and it's always happened."

"Incredible, I've never heard of a human with such abilities before," Tanya said, sounding more intrigued than afraid as she adjusted her glasses.

But Grace looked at the other ducks and noted some wariness in their gazes.

"I understand if this makes you uncomfortable, especially with my staying here. But I've never lost control of my powers. I'm very careful about using them."

"You've had your powers the whole time you've been in our world?" Wildwing asked.

Grace nodded.

"Yeah, five years. The first year was a bit of an adjustment as my powers developed, but I've managed them for all these years. And almost no one knows that I have them."

"Well, who else knows?" Duke asked.

"I helped a few others before you. I can give you their names if you want. Last I checked, they're still doing well."

"So there are humans who are builders, healers, defenders, and energizers. You can like do all of that?" Nosedive asked.

Grace smiled.

"Just tell me what you want me to do."

"Cool! We could…"

Wildwing put his hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Hold it, Dive. It is amazing that you have these powers, Grace. But there's a lot to consider here. Using your powers too much might draw attention. And I'd feel better if we knew a little more about them."

"I wouldn't mind running some tests if you'll let me," Tanya said quickly to Grace.

"Sure, but my offer still stands to help others in Anaheim. You have friends who need help, right?"

"We do, but how are you going to help them without drawing attention?" Wildwing said. "I don't think we should rely on all of Anaheim to keep your secret."

"What about the sewers?" Duke asked. "If she could move about underground, no one would see where the help was coming from. Could you do that?"

"Yeah, I don't see why not," Grace said.

Wildwing considered that.

"You're sure you're ready to help a whole town?"

Grace nodded.

"And Tanya can run some tests while I do it if she wants."

* * *

The next day, Nosedive, Mallory, and Grin rode down the streets of Anaheim on duckcycles to monitor things from the surface. Below them, Wildwing, Tanya, and Duke waited in the sewers around the lower levels of the Pond with Grace.

Tanya had set up her diagnostic equipment, and she also had two water-based vehicles that could traverse the sewer tunnels. Duke was set up to drive the vehicle while Grace rode behind him. Wildwing would follow them on the other vehicle to monitor things. Grace adjusted the bracelets Tanya had designed to analyze her power output as she sat behind Duke.

"Better buckle that seatbelt in case things get rough," he said.

Grace pulled a harness across her waist and chest and fastened it.

"Ready," she said.

"Okay, we're both gonna need a shower after this," Duke said with a cough as he activated the vehicle.

"Oh, you want a spray shield?" Grace asked, and she waved her left hand towards the front of the vehicle. A transparent shield of light covered the front. Grace also gave one to Wildwing's vehicle.

"Nice, but maybe you ought to be conservin' that power?" Duke said.

Grace laughed.

"Just focus on driving, okay?"

Duke waved back to Tanya, and he hit the accelerator. They sped off, and Grace closed her eyes. She pointed her hands with the palms upward, and light formed above them. She opened her eyes, now shining brightly, and the light shot up through the concrete of the sewers.

Wildwing watched all of this from the rear, and he saw the light pass through the concrete like it was nothing but air.

* * *

On the streets above, the other ducks saw that the ground was beginning to glow starting with the path that Grace was following below, but then the light began to spread.

"We can see it up here," Mallory said into her com. "It's really traveling fast."

"Watch for people," Wildwing said back over the com. "I want to know if it's helping them."

"Come on! Let's check on Thrash and Mookie at Captain Comics," Nosedive said eagerly.

They rode off to the mall, and Nosedive started to get off his duckcycle to run inside, but Thrash and Mookie walked out of the door. The light shone around them in a dim outline, and they seemed confused. As Nosedive stepped onto the pavement, he froze and light seemed to envelop him brightly for a moment before it faded.

"Whoa! I think they just passed underneath," Nosedive said. "Talk about a recharge!"

Thrash and Mookie put their hands to their heads and smiled as they looked at the ducks.

"Dude, what's going on?" Thrash asked.

"Yeah, I like feel so much better," Mookie said.

"A cure for the sickness has been released to Anaheim," Mallory said quickly, before Nosedive could answer. "We just came to see if you two were okay."

"Totally," Thrash said grinning.

"Come on, Dive," Mallory urged. "We have to keep checking on the rest of the city."

"Sure, but I'll be back later, guys!"

* * *

Duke glanced down at the map on his vehicle. It had taken over an hour, but they seemed to have covered just about all of the sewer tunnels. He glanced back and saw that Grace was still releasing her power towards the surface. There wasn't any sign of her slowing down or tiring.

As they covered the last few tunnels, Duke steered them back towards where they had started and where Tanya was waiting.

When they reached her, they shut off the vehicles, and Grace's light slowly dimmed and diminished. Her eyes appeared normal again as she looked at the ducks.

"Did we reach the whole city?"

"Mallory is reporting that they've seen positive signs all over the city," Tanya said, sounding pleased. "And the bracelets seemed to take good readings of your power. I'll have to look over the results more in my lab."

"How do you feel?" Wildwing asked as he helped Grace onto the concrete surface.

"Fine. I could do more if it was needed."

Duke shook his head.

"I don't know how you managed it, sweetheart. That looked like a lot of work from where I was sitting."

"I can't fully explain it myself," Grace said with a shrug. "Maybe Tanya can tell us more later."

As they walked back into the Pond and started to head for Drake One, Wildwing suddenly raised a hand to halt them. He motioned for Duke to stay with Grace while he and Tanya walked on out.

"Hey, Phil," Wildwing said as he approached their manager.

"Why aren't you out at the mall or at home?" Tanya asked. "We told you to take the day off."

"Oh, hey, babes. I was gonna leave, but I'm not feelin' so good. Could someone give me a ride?"

"Sure, why don't you sit down over here, Phil," Wildwing said, leading him to a chair. Then he turned and gestured to Duke when Phil's back was turned.

Duke and Grace walked out into the main room, and Grace raised her hands as Phil sat with his back to her. In just a few moments, Phil blinked and stood up.

Moving in front of Grace, Duke guided her back to cover.

"Hey, I suddenly feel like a new man," Phil said happily. "Maybe that last cup of coffee is finally kicking in."

"Good! Now why don't you go out and enjoy yourself?" Wildwing encouraged, steering Phil to the elevator.

"Are you kiddin'? I've got publicity stunts to plan …merchandise to sell!" Phil said energetically. "I've got to get back to work."

But he left just the same, and Wildwing and Tanya sighed though they smiled.

"That was close," Duke said as he stepped out again. "Phil wanders down here sometimes. You'll have to be certain he doesn't see you, Grace."

She joined the ducks and just gave a nod in response.

"Yeah, none of us think trusting Phil with your secret is a great idea," Tanya scoffed, and then she pulled out her chip containing the data from the bracelets. "I'm headed to the lab to analyze this if you guys need me."

As she walked off, the elevator opened again, and the rest of the ducks stepped off.

"Time to turn on the news!" Nosedive said as he walked over Drake One and punched a few buttons.

"Are there already reports about what's happening?" Wildwing asked.

"Yeah, we saw reporters on our way back to the Pond," Mallory said.

As Drake One's massive screen came to life, the ducks watched news footage of reports around the city of people's recovery. Grace stood behind them, feeling a little uncomfortable but also pleased.

"There you have it. People on every block are coming out to celebrate with their neighbors and enjoy the beautiful sunshine. We still don't know how it happened, but everyone is glad it did."

The news reporter walked over to Captain Klegghorn and some other police officers to ask them some questions. Klegghorn appeared suspicious, but he couldn't help from smiling a little.

"You've changed things for the whole city," Mallory said, turning back to Grace. "It's incredible."

Grace ran her hand through her hair.

"I just did what should have already been done by others. No one needs to thank me."

Wildwing turned away from the screen in silence with a thoughtful expression.

"What is it, bro?" Nosedive asked. "We should go out there and join the party!"

Wildwing's seriousness did not lift.

"We never found out what caused that sickness in the first place."

Nosedive turned to Grace.

"Yeah, but we know someone who can totally find out! You can do anything right?"

Grace grew quiet, and she turned away from Nosedive, who watched her with surprise.

"What is it?" Duke asked as he took a step closer. "You know something already, don't ya?"

At that moment, Tanya walked into the room with a smile.

"Hey, these lab results are really interesting. You guys should come and see this!"

Her excitement faded when she saw that the others appeared distracted and Grace looked uneasy.

"Let's go and see Tanya's results, and then I'll tell you what I know," Grace said, meeting Duke's gaze.

"Tell us what?" Tanya asked.

"We'll come, Tanya," Wildwing said. "But then I want to hear what Grace has to say."

Grace gave a nod of acknowledgment and walked towards Tanya.

 **Please leave reviews! Even if you don't have much to say, I enjoy the comments, and I like to know what readers are thinking.**

 **Next chapter coming soon!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Back in the lab, Tanya had graphs and images laid out on a table.

"So what did you find?" Mallory asked.

"Well, at first I thought Grace must be drawing her power from somewhere else for it to be so long lasting," Tanya said. "But this data shows that it's being generated from inside her."

Grace appeared to relax a little more as she heard Tanya speak.

"It's amazing. You can see points of origin here and here," Tanya said holding up images and then pointing to Grace's head and then to her heart. "I mean I've heard theories about our world causing humans to develop internal sources of creative energy that can have a powerful impact on us and our world, but I didn't think it could be real."

"Why is it so limitless?" Wildwing asked.

"I'm not sure about that yet, but look at these numbers! You can see that her output levels never decrease until she intentionally stopped. In fact, I think they increased a few times."

"So what was it you were going to tell us?" Grin asked Grace, turning to her.

Grace leaned back against one of the counters and studied the faces of the ducks.

"The other humans from my world would _never_ want you to know this. And you're not going to like it, but yeah, I know why everyone in Anaheim was sick."

She paused for a moment and put her hand to her head.

"I'm glad you heard what Tanya had to say because you'll know that I'm different. But other humans, the ones with different powers, they're not like me. Maybe the reason I don't get tired is because I can generate power myself. I'm like my own battery I guess, but they have to steal their power."

"Steal it? Like from other humans?" Nosedive asked.

"No," Grace said with a sigh. "They steal energy from those in your world …and then they sell it back to you with their 'gifts.'"

"What?" Wildwing said as his expression grew cold and angry.

"They're the reason we were sick?" Mallory asked.

Grace could tell they were all becoming angry, and she shrunk back closer to the counter, but still she nodded.

"You all felt so weak because too much had been taken from you. I've never seen it as bad other places as it was here. They must have selected this area to steal a lot of energy from."

"How does no one know about this?" Duke asked. "What about that blasted Off-World Agency?"

"It's never occurred to them. They're just dumb enough to destroy any humans who can generate their own powers without stealing and blind enough to let other humans operate a sham business that supposedly meets needs."

"And you don't do this?" Wildwing asked sternly.

"No," Grace insisted. "This power is mine. Tanya just told you what she saw."

"I want to believe you," Mallory said. "But if you really can do anything, you could have changed the results. What if this data isn't real?"

"If I stole my power from your world, why would I tell you about all of this?" Grace asked.

"She has a point," Grin said to the others. "We should not take our anger out on one who tells us the truth."

"Sorry, sweetheart," Duke said apologetically. "Grin's right. You've done a lot without asking for anything in return."

"I get it," Grace said with a sigh. "That's why you're still suspicious. What's she really want? What's the catch?"

"That and I'm wondering why you didn't tell us about this before," Wildwing said, not letting the matter drop.

Grace gestured to them.

"Because of the way you're looking at me now. I know you can't help it. I'd be furious too. And I wanted to prove to you that I was different. I hate what OtherEarth, Inc. is doing, but here's the problem, if you try to take this information to the authorities, no one will listen. Some of the outsiders really knew how to buddy-up to your officials. You're going to need proof to stop this from happening. And this isn't an easy thing to prove."

"Maybe Tanya could track where they're stealing energy from," Mallory suggested.

Grace picked up the bracelets.

"You think the other humans will let you get anywhere close to them with something like this?" She turned to Wildwing. "You've met them. Can you see how difficult this is going to be?"

He drew in a deep breath and nodded.

"But they're gonna like keep stealing from us?" Nosedive said angrily. "And we can't do anything about it? I mean I don't want to get sick again."

"I might be able to stop it," Grace said, thinking out loud.

The ducks looked at her in surprise.

"Stop all of it?" Tanya asked.

"In Anaheim, at least," Grace said. "Maybe if we cut off their supply, they'll get angry and do something stupid. Something we could use as proof against them."

"How would you stop them from stealing power here?" Duke asked.

Grace held up her hands and the image of a golden dome made from strands of light like a net appeared.

"I think I could cast something like this over the city. It would block them, but it would be the largest use of my power I've ever attempted."

"Once you put it up, it would stay there?" Mallory asked.

"As long as I was alive, I think it could be maintained," Grace said. "And I can make it invisible so no one sees it. And it's not impenetrable; it won't keep people or vehicles from passing through. Just their power."

The ducks stared at the small dome of light above her hands, and then Wildwing said,

"I'd like to try it …that is, if you're willing to attempt it."

Grace nodded.

"But I can't do it from the sewers. I'll have to be on the surface to do this. Can you keep me hidden?"

"We'll do all that we can to protect you. We will owe you that at least. But maybe it would be best to do it late at night when most people are asleep."

* * *

A little more than a day later, the ducks took Grace to the top of a newly-constructed department store in the center of town. It was past one in the morning, and Anaheim seemed mostly quiet around them. As a precaution, Grace wore a jacket with a hood over her head until they reached the roof the building.

"Will this work?" Mallory asked Grace as she surveyed the view.

Grace removed the jacket and handed it to Nosedive.

"Yes, this should be perfect. But it might take some time for me to do this, and I'll have to give it my complete concentration until it's done."

"We'll keep an eye on things around you," Wildwing assured her. "Nosedive, Mallory, and I will go below and keep a watch on the street-level. Duke, Tanya, and Grin can stay up here with you."

She nodded and thanked them before walking to the center of the roof. Closing her eyes, Grace raised her hands above her and beams of light sped from them towards the sky.

Wildwing drew Nosedive and Mallory away.

"Dive, you take the eastern side of the building. And Mallory, take the southern. I'll cover the alley to the north as well as the western side. Report to me at once if you see anyone."

They separated and used ropes to rappel back to the streets below. Wildwing took his position and settled in for a long wait. The streets appeared fairly empty in this part of Anaheim, and his hope was for them to remain so.

One hour passed with little to no activity, and Wildwing was beginning to think it would be a quiet night. But then he saw a tall, dark figure appear around the corner of a building and begin to walk towards him.

Wildwing stared back at it in surprise. That profile could only belong to Dragaunus, but his com hadn't alerted him to any teleportation energy. As the Saurian overlord continued to approach, Wildwing walked out towards Dragaunus with his puck launcher raised and his shield activated.

"I don't remember inviting any Saurians to here tonight."

"Did you really think I would not notice another energy surge?" Dragaunus asked. "You ducks will tell me what that outsider is up to. I know you have one up there."

"It's for the good of this city," Wildwing said. "That's all you need to know."

"What I need to know is mine to decide. Now tell me before I blast you all into oblivion."

"Think of it as a long-term preventive measure for that sickness that had all of us on our backs."

"What makes you so sure it had an impact on me?"

"You and your goons were noticeably absent when you had plenty of opportunities to raid Anaheim without us interfering."

Dragaunus' gaze narrowed and steam rose from his nostrils.

"Look, unless you want to go back to the way things were before, we need to let her finish this."

"Even I know this isn't a typical service that outsiders perform," Dragaunus said, refusing to back down. "You will tell me what is really going on here or else."

Wildwing sighed as he deactivated his shield.

"Some of the other outsiders were stealing energy from those of us in Anaheim to increase their own power. She's going to make sure that can't happen anymore."

"And what is to stop her from stealing from us?"

"Tanya ran some tests. She doesn't need to steal to generate power. This has to stay quiet. No one else knows she's here."

"You mean she's unregistered. How interesting, an illegal alien and under your protection," Dragaunus said, seeming amused by the idea.

Wildwing glared back at him, but he kept silent as Dragaunus glanced back up at the roof.

"If you try to use her powers against me in any way, I'll inform the Off-World Agency of her presence here. But if she is only here for our mutual benefit, then they won't hear anything. Is that clear enough?"

Wildwing nodded, but asked, "Why didn't you just teleport here?"

"We have a new transport that will allow us to move through the city without alerting you constantly to our presence. And I didn't trust my henchmen to find out what was going on here without creating some kind of mess. It seems I must be the one to handle matters such as this."

"And I'm sure we'll meet again soon now that you're feeling up trying to take over the world again. But this outsider will not be a part of our fight against you," Wildwing said. "Just realize that if you betray her presence here, we will all pay a price for it."

"Just keep her out of my way," Dragaunus said, with the rise and curl of his tail and the flick of his cloak as he turned and walked back into the shadows of the opposite street.

Back up on the roof, Duke, Tanya, and Grin watched Grace as she continued to weave a net-like pattern of light over the city until it formed a complete dome. Then with one last effort, Grace caused the dome to become invisible, so that only the starry night sky appeared over them.

When she lowered her hands, her balance wavered. Duke reached out and caught her with one arm, and to his surprise, she sunk down suddenly. He used both arms to catch her and lift her up.

"Hey, you okay, sweetheart?"

"I'm sorry. It's just… I do feel tired for once. I think this took a lot of me."

"Hold on, then, let's get you back to the Pond."

Grin came over and picked her up as Duke called Wildwing to ready the Migrator.

 **Please leave reviews! Even if you don't have much to say, I enjoy the comments, and I like to know what readers are thinking.**

 **Next chapter coming soon!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

In the infirmary, Grace lay on one of the beds as Tanya conducted some scans and the other ducks stood nearby. Grace was still awake, but she appeared weak and drained for once.

After a few minutes, Tanya studied the readings from her scans.

"Well, the good news is you still seem able to generate power. It's just happening at a slower pace. How do you feel?"

"A little better. I think I just need to rest."

"Well, you said this was the biggest thing you've ever attempted before," Tanya said.

"Guess I'm learning my limitations, but I'm glad the dome is complete."

"Thank you for that, Grace," Wildwing said as he stepped closer. "It was good of you to do that for Anaheim."

"Well, you won't need me anymore now that it's in place," she said with a faint smile, though she spoke with a tinge of sadness. "I'll understand if you want me to go once I've recovered."

"That's not why we had you put it up," Duke insisted. "Of course, you should stay."

"I agree," Wildwing said. "Your secret is safe here. And we may need your help if we're ever going to reveal what these other outsiders are doing."

* * *

About eight hours later in New Haven, Chase Farrow dialed the secretary on his office phone at OtherEarth, Inc.

"Janice, make sure no one disturbs me for the next hour."

He ended the call and rose from his chair. Walking to his office door and opening it, he saw Vivian Rykks in her office doorway across the hall.

"No new clients?" she asked.

Chase smiled.

"Not today, but they'll come. They always do."

Vivan nodded, returning his smug expression with one of her own. Chase put a Do Not Disturb sign on his door and said,

"And when they arrive, I'll have to be ready to meet their needs."

"I was just thinking the same thing," Vivian said as she put a similar sign on her own door and closed it, moving back inside her office.

After shutting his door, Chase moved to the couch in his office and settled comfortably into it. He closed his eyes and waited.

* * *

Back in Anaheim, Nosedive and Grace stood just inside the doors of the Pond, looking out at the city. Grace was too afraid of being seen to leave the Pond again, and on his way out to the mall, Nosedive had found her standing by the doors. He looked up at the sky where the protective dome remained invisible.

"So what happens when the other humans try to steal energy from Anaheim now? Do they get it from the dome instead?"

"No, it's not right that they should be able to steal power at all, no matter where they're drawing it from. So if they try to draw power from Anaheim now. They're going to get a rather unpleasant shock."

"Like they won't get anything?"

"The dome prevents them from taking any energy from Anaheim, but I meant like an actual painful shock," Grace said with a smile. "Not enough to physically harm them really. But it'll definitely sting."

"Cool," Nosedive said with a grin. "Can you tell if it's already happening?"

Grace closed her eyes, and she nodded.

"Right now, a couple of them are getting to experience our defenses firsthand."

* * *

In his office, Chase began yelling as he landed on the floor of his office, writhing in pain until he opened his eyes. The pain slowly began to leave him, and he rose uninjured except for the memory of that horrible pulsing jolt, like an electrical current rushing through his limbs. What had happened?

He straightened his expensive tie and pulled open his office door to see some of his colleagues had gathered in the hall. Vivian opened the door to her office just a moment later, and her appearance seemed disheveled and her face pale.

"Where did you try to draw from?" he asked her quickly.

"The same place we've been using. But I didn't gain anything, and something attacked me."

"Mason," Chase said, turning to one of the others in the hall. "Try to pull power from our draw site."

One of the men in the hall appeared reluctant to follow the request, but Chase seized his arm and drew him inside the office. He thrust him to the couch and repeated the command.

"We have to know why it's not working. Now try it!"

The others gathered inside the office to watch, and Mason drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes. For a moment, nothing happened. But then he cried out, and he huddled into a ball, falling from the couch.

Chase grabbed his shoulders, but he instantly released Mason as he felt a bit of the stinging pain strike his hands. Mason opened his eyes and stumbled to his feet angrily a second later.

"And why did I have to do that?" he grumbled.

"We're being blocked," Chase said. "We had to know for sure."

"Blocked? How is that possible?" Vivian exclaimed.

"I don't know, but it's happening!" Chase shouted back before he turned away to calm himself. "This cannot be an accident. Someone is keeping us out of there."

"The second site still works," Russ Ogulby said, folding his arms. "I just drew power from there an hour ago."

"Then we draw from there," Mason said, brushing himself off while still casting an annoyed look at Chase.

"For how long?" Chase asked. "It may be a small problem that we have to draw from other locations, but this the first time we've been blocked. It means that someone has learned how we gain our power."

Their expressions revealed that they suddenly understood his concern now.

"You expect them to tell someone?" Vivian asked.

"We can deny whatever accusations they bring against us. The bigger issue is that if they've learned to block us once, they may start blocking us in other locations."

"We'd have nowhere to harvest power from," Mason said.

Chase grew quiet in thought as he walked around his office, and finally, he stood behind his desk.

"We have to know what's going on at this site. I'm going out there."

They looked at him in surprise.

"You think that's a good idea?" Mason asked. "If they know what we've been doing…"

"I'll take one of the defenders with me. They won't dare attack us. And maybe I'll find this threat and squash it before this goes any farther."

"I'll go with you," Vivian said. "I want to see what's going on there."

Chase nodded.

"We should fill up on power before we go. We'll wait and leave tomorrow."

* * *

As Grace stood with Nosedive, her eyes suddenly opened wide, and she turned and began to hurry back to the locker room and the elevator.

"What is it?" Nosedive asked as he followed her.

"I have to talk to your brother. Come on!"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Nosedive activated the elevator for her, and when they entered the lower level of the Pond, Grace rushed over to where Wildwing and the other ducks were standing near Drake One.

"They're coming here!" she said.

"Who?" Mallory asked.

"Two or three of the ones who have been stealing power from Anaheim. I was spying on them, and I heard their plans. When they couldn't steal power from your city, they decided to come here and find out what was keeping them out."

"You heard their plans from Anaheim?" Tanya asked.

"When they messed with the dome, I was able to locate who was involved, and yes, I could spy on them for a few moments. Long enough to hear their plans."

"But they won't be able to get past the barrier right?" Nosedive asked.

"The dome only keeps them from drawing power outside of it. It's not a wall to keep people from physically moving in or out of Anaheim."

Wildwing had been standing quietly in thought, but now he said, "Even if we could keep them out, I think we should let them in."

The other ducks looked at him in surprise.

"They'll try to steal energy from us once they're inside the city, won't they?" Duke said.

"Probably, but I doubt they'll stay for long," Wildwing said. "It's not like we'll be giving them a warm welcome."

"Wildwing, you mustn't tell them what you know," Grace protested. "We don't have enough proof against them yet."

"We won't tell them, and we won't let them find out about you, Grace. Don't worry about that. But we can show them that Anaheim's not under their control anymore."

"Can you keep yourself hidden from them?" Tanya asked Grace. "I mean, they won't be able to use their powers to find you, right?"

"No, I can keep myself hidden," Grace said. "I'm just worried about you. You're right, Wildwing. They're not going to be pleased that Anaheim has recovered without them. They may try to take it back. And they're going to learn about the dome."

"They can't destroy it, can they?" Duke asked.

"No," Grace said firmly. "It'll remain strong as long as I'm alive. But it won't stop them from drawing power from you once they are inside of it. That's not how I designed it. But I will replenish anything they take from you."

"We'll be fine," Wildwing assured her. "Thanks to your warning, we have some time to plan. I'm going to bring Captain Klegghorn in on this. He can give us support from the local authorities."

Grace's eyes widened.

"Wildwing, please don't tell him about me. He'll feel compelled to report me, even if he doesn't wish to because of his position."

Wildwing stood beside her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"He won't learn about you from me. I promise, Grace. But he needs to know that these humans coming to Anaheim can't be trusted."

Grace nodded and thanked him. Wildwing paused and turned back to face the other ducks as he thought of something else.

"There's someone else besides us who knows about Grace's presence in Anaheim. And I think we should use that to our advantage here."

"You can't mean Dragaunus," Mallory protested.

"He knows about me?" Grace asked in surprise.

"The night you created the dome, he found us," Wildwing said with a sigh. "He wanted to know what you were doing, and I had to explain some things to get him to persuade him to keep quiet about the whole thing. He said that as long you didn't use your powers against him that he wouldn't report you."

"Yeah, but since when have we ever been able to trust old Lizard Lips?" Nosedive scoffed as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"But Grace's presence here is good for him too," Duke said. "He can't overlook that."

"No, I don't think he can," Wildwing said. "As much as I hate to admit it, we're going to be on the same side as the Saurians when it comes to these outsiders who have been stealing energy from us."

"We share a common goal," Grin agreed.

"So you want to make a plan with Dragaunus?" Mallory said, still with a tone of disbelief. "How are you even going to contact him?"

Wildwing looked over at Grace, and she sighed.

"Yes, I can do it. It's actually the easiest thing you've asked of me so far."

"And if you're willing, I think you should come with me to speak with him once we set up a meeting."

"Sure, how often does one get to make a deal with a Saurian overlord, anyway?" Grace said grimly.

"Not often hopefully," Tanya said. "Those situations usually don't end well."

Grace walked over to Drake One and placed her hand on the giant computer's control panel. She closed her eyes, and then a few seconds later, the ducks saw that the communication system had been activated. It was connecting to the communication system of the Raptor.

After a moment, the call was accepted, and the ducks heard, over the speaker, a strange voice say,

"You've reached the Hot Springs Day Spa. Can we book an appointment for you?"

Grace looked over at Wildwing and mouthed "Chameleon". He nodded.

"Can it, Chameleon. I want to speak to your boss," Wildwing said sternly.

"Ooh, the duckies found our number," Chameleon said in usual annoying voice. "The boss isn't gonna be happy about that."

"You fink, what are you doing taking a break?! I want those converters now!" Siege roared from the background.

"Hold your stinking breath!" Chameleon jeered back "I'm talking to the ducks."

"You're what?!"

"We didn't call to listen to you two argue. Where's Dragaunus?" Wildwing said impatiently.

Chameleon seemed about to answer, but then he stopped, and there was a crash before a voice said,

"I warned you about using that outsider to meddle in my affairs." Dragaunus' deep voice rumbled with threatening tone.

"If this was about us finding the Raptor, we'd already be at your front door," Wildwing said. "I just want to talk. Grace has learned something important… something I thought you would want to know."

"Well?" Dragaunus asked with a growl.

"I'd prefer to talk face to face. Tell us where you want to meet, and I'll meet you there tonight at 11 p.m. Somewhere not in the Pond and not in the Raptor."

"The alley near Vernon and Winston then," Dragaunus said. "And no tricks, or Wraith will be making a call to the Off-World Agency."

"That won't be necessary," Wildwing said. "But don't think of trying anything against us. Grace will be there to keep things fair."

"So be it," Dragaunus said, and the line went dead.

Grace took her hand from Drake One.

"You should have someone else with you," Mallory insisted. "I'm going with you and Grace at least."

"All right, but the rest of you should hang back," Wildwing said. "I don't expect this to turn into a fight. Dragaunus will see that we have more important things to deal with."

* * *

That afternoon, Wildwing took a duckcycle to talk to Captain Klegghorn, and when he returned to the Pond, he said the meeting had gone well. Klegghorn hadn't been completely satisfied, sensing that information was being withheld, but he believed Wildwing about the outsiders coming to Anaheim. He agreed to keep his men out of it unless the ducks needed back up. And he said it wouldn't be hard to convince his officers that the strangers were bad news for Anaheim, even if he didn't tell them everything.

"What do you think he will tell his men?" Grace asked.

"We talked about it, and I told him about the exorbitant prices they tried to charge me when I went to them for help," Wildwing said. "Klegghorn took that and said he could spin the story that these humans were looking to take cheat our town and take people's money, which is true enough."

Grace nodded.

"Now that no one in Anaheim needs their help anymore, they won't be welcome here," Wildwing assured her.

After nightfall, the ducks drove the Migrator a few blocks from the alley where Dragaunus chose. Wildwing, Mallory, and Grace got out to walk the rest of the way.

"Be careful, bro," Nosedive said warily.

"I will, Dive. We'll be back soon."

They walked on, and it didn't take long to reach the alley. It was empty when they arrived, and Grace kept the hood of her jacket pulled up over her head as she looked cautiously at the streets behind them. There didn't seem to be many people out at this time in this neighborhood, so it didn't seem likely that anyone would see her.

After waiting another moment, Dragaunus and Siege teleported into the alley with a couple of hunter drones.

"This had better be worth our time," Dragaunus said coldly as he surveyed the ducks.

Wildwing looked to Grace, and she removed the hood of her jacket, and said,

"The outsiders who have been stealing power from Anaheim, they're coming here. It's probably just a matter of a few days before they arrive."

"They've realized they can't steal from us anymore, and they're coming to find out why," Wildwing said.

"Does that mean we get to crush them?" Siege asked with a malicious grin.

Dragaunus cast a disparaging gaze at him.

"Only if you want to bring the authorities down on us and initiate a full investigation," Wildwing said coldly. "We have to handle this quietly, which means that these humans have to leave Anaheim and go back to where they came from _without_ learning about Grace."

"If you're worried about hiding your little friend, you can give her to us," Dragaunus offered. "I'm sure we can find a way to make her useful."

Mallory moved protectively in front of Grace.

"Keeping her hidden is not the problem," Wildwing said firmly. "Once these humans are inside Anaheim, under the dome Grace placed, they can draw energy from us again. Grace can replenish whatever they take, but still, I don't think either of us want them to get comfortable in Anaheim for very long while they search for answers."

Draganus smiled.

"You want us to convince them to keep their stay here short?"

"Yes," Wildwing said. "Don't kill them or seriously injure them. But you can attack them without us interfering. Or the police."

"I'd prefer breaking bones, but scaring humans is easy," Siege said, seeming content as he swung his club tail into the pavement behind him.

Dragaunus raised his hand to halt Siege's enthusiasm.

"And what do we get out of this _service_?"

"You get the satisfaction of driving these pests away," Wildwing said. "As I said, if they take any energy from you, Grace will replenish it."

"Perhaps I want to bargain for more," Dragaunus persisted.

Wildwing lifted his beak.

"We're not offering more."

"Then we don't have a deal. I won't tell anyone about your new pet, but I don't have to help you with these other outsiders. You can deal with them yourselves."

Remaining silent, Wildwing stared at Dragaunus, but Grace appeared uneasy as she looked from the ducks to the Saurians.

"What if I told you the location of some faltharite crystals?" Grace asked.

Wildwing turned to her and gave her a look that felt like a harsh reprimand, but Grace continued, seeing she had Dragaunus' attention.

"I know your ship is running low on basic power. We're not talking about crystals that allow it fly or open dimensional gateways, just simple things like lights and your general tech."

"Where are these crystals?" Dragaunus asked.

"I will tell you if you assist in convincing these other humans to leave," Grace said. "After they're gone, I'll tell you what you want to know."

Dragaunus studied her with a wary gaze.

"Very well. I'll unleash my henchmen on these intruders after they arrive. But do not play games with me, girl. I will want that location."

"You'll get it," Grace promised.

Dragaunus and Siege activated their teleporters, and they disappeared with the hunter drones. Wildwing turned to Grace.

"You should leave the negotiating with Saurians to me. Hopefully there won't be a next time, but if there is, perhaps I shouldn't bring you along after all."

Grace lowered her head.

"I'm sorry, but I could see his thoughts, Wildwing. Dragaunus wasn't going to back down. He didn't care enough about these visitors coming into Anaheim."

"Giving him any kind of crystals is a bad idea," Mallory told her.

"These are low power crystals," Grace said. "I know it's not great, but it's something small he stills wants, and this way you don't have to drive these humans out of Anaheim on your own."

"I would almost prefer having to deal with the outsiders alone than giving Dragaunus something," Wildwing said. "My fear is that he won't stop with these crystals. He'll keep demanding more, Grace. That's what Saurians do."

"If you give a mouse a cookie," Mallory warned.

Grace raised her hands with a sigh.

"Fair point. You have more experience than I do with Saurians."

Wildwing moved to the edge of the alley and looked out before gesturing for them to follow. Grace pulled the hood of her jacket back up over her head.

"Well, at least we'll get the pleasure of seeing these OtherEarth jerks have to face Dragaunus' henchmen when they get here," Mallory said with a smile.

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 **Next chapter coming soon!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Chase Farrow sat behind the wheel of the sports car with Vivian beside him. In another car behind them, the burly figure of Golott Noyse, the skilled defender, followed them down the highway towards Anaheim.

"Have you tried to draw energy again from the city?" Chase asked.

Vivian glared at him, but she closed her eyes. She gasped as they shot open a moment later.

"Yes, and it still hurts. At least I know to make less of an attempt now."

"Perhaps you should try harder and see if you can overpower this barrier," Chase replied coldly.

She answered him with a scornful laugh.

"You can attempt that if you think it's such a wonderful idea. Only a fool would suppose this kind of power is vulnerable when it can repulse us from miles away."

"We will find a weakness," Chase said confidently. "I don't know how this came about, but we will put a stop to it."

"Of course, we must," Vivian agreed. "We can't start losing ground after all we've accomplished."

"We'll lose everything if the truth gets out," Chase warned.

Vivian only responded with silence.

"There it is," Chase said as he gestured ahead to a city in the distance.

They continued to drive over the highway as the distance to the city decreased mile by mile. At last, they entered the city limits, and Vivian waited for something to happen, but she felt nothing as they left the highway and drove along the streets in the city.

"Where should we start?" she asked.

"That duck who came to see us not long before this happened, he was from Anaheim," Chase said with a narrowed gaze. "We should talk to him."

"Didn't he leave empty-handed?"

"That was what we thought. The fool wanted our help without paying for it. So I'll play the part of someone who's changed his mind and come to help after all. Only we need to know where to find them first."

A police car was parked on the side of the street ahead, and Chase pulled over behind it and stopped. Vivian stepped out of the car and sauntered over to the police vehicle.

"Officers," she said with a nod of her head and a seductive smile. "We're looking for the Mighty Ducks. Could you give us directions?"

The two policemen in the car frowned as they listened to her.

"Our hockey stadium isn't big enough for you that you need to ask directions to find it?" one said.

Vivian tried to mask her surprise at their coldness.

"I'm from OtherEarth, Inc. Your town's just new to me and my friends."

"Sure it is, and you can just keep driving on out of it," the other office said.

Vivian glared at him and turned away as she strode back to Chase's car. He noted the angry look on her face as she got in.

"Something wrong?"

Before she could answer, he heard a tap on his window, and Chase lowered it when he saw one of the officers standing outside his car.

"Hey, you didn't use your blinker when you pulled over," the officer said, and he handed Chase a ticket.

"You can't be serious," Chase said, not taking it. "Do you know where we're from?"

"You're not from here," the officer scoffed as he thrust the ticket inside the car and walked off.

"Something is wrong with this place," Vivian said. "They wouldn't give me directions, and they said we should drive right on out of town."

Chase grew quiet as he looked at the ticket.

"They can't know, can they?" she asked.

"We need to find out what they know, but first, I want to see that duck."

"The only information they gave was that we should be headed for a hockey stadium," Vivian said impatiently.

Chase took out his phone.

"The Anaheim Pond, I've got it."

They drove away, leaving the police car behind and made their way to the hockey stadium. When they reached it, they saw that the parking lot was empty, but they parked anyway and stepped out.

"If there's no game, there may be no one here," Vivian said with an impatient sigh.

Golott got out of his car and joined them.

"Let's see if we can get inside. Maybe they're here practicing," Chase said.

The doors were unlocked, and the three of them walked inside. Once entering the main part of the stadium, they could hear skates on the ice and saw several ducks moving about on the ice below.

"They don't appear sick," Vivian noted.

Chase said nothing and led the way down the stairs. When the ducks saw them, they stopped their practice and left the rink to meet them on the stairs. Their expressions did not appear welcoming.

"Well, Wildwing, your friends appear to have recovered, and here I came down to see if I could be of assistance," Chase said.

"Is that why you came?" Wildwing said with more of the tone of an accusation than a question.

"Yes, I realized you hadn't been offered a fair deal," Chase persisted with a warm and friendly tone. "But you must have found another healer after all."

"I left your headquarters alone, but when I returned, everyone seemed to get better," Wildwing said with a shrug. "I can't explain it, but I'm glad it happened."

"Oh, then I hope there's no ill will between us. After all, I came to show you that I was willing to help."

"Well, there's no one here to help now, so don't feel like you need to waste your time."

"But it's so strange, the mysterious recovery of your friends, I've not heard of such a thing before. Aren't you curious about it?" Vivian asked.

"People get sick all the time and get better," Tanya said with a huff.

"Yeah, usually the question is more about how they got sick in the first place," Duke said. "And what kind of sickness is it?"

"Some kind of flu, probably," Wildwing said nonchalantly. "At least that's what we've decided."

"Have you taken any kind of measures to prevent this sickness from overtaking you again?" Chase asked.

"What like flu shots?" Nosedive said with a scornful laugh.

"Sure, anything," Chase persisted, trying to maintain his patience.

"No," Wildwing shook his head. "We haven't done a thing."

"Well, since we're in town, perhaps we can catch a game."

The ducks held back their laugher.

"What?" Vivian asked.

"It's not hockey season," Grin said bluntly.

"Then let us take you out for dinner," Chase said, forcing politeness and a smile.

The ducks turned back towards the ice as Wildwing said,

"No thanks. It might cost me too much. Have a good drive back to New Haven."

The three humans stood on the steps for a moment before walking back out of the stadium. Once they were out of the building, Chase's expression darkened.

"It's hard to tell what they know," Vivian said angrily. "Do you think that one is just bitter about our price for healing?"

"Possibly, but it felt like they were a little too confident," Chase said fuming. "They know they don't need us. But how?"

Vivian stopped and closed her eyes. Chase paused for a moment, and then grabbed her arm and pulled her along.

"Not here, not now. If they don't know, then let's not raise their suspicions."

"Nothing was stopping me this time," Vivian told him. "I can draw power again."

Chase considered that as they returned to the car.

"So this barrier must only work to keep us from drawing power outside the town," he said. "Still, that doesn't help us much. We need to get rid of it entirely."

"Well, first we have to find it," Vivian said.

"We'll look tonight," Chase decided. "For now, let's find a hotel."

* * *

Grace came out to the ducks after the other humans had left.

"You should stay below, sweetheart," Duke said.

"They're driving away," Grace said confidently.

"Like leaving town?" Nosedive said hopefully.

"No, not yet unfortunately. They still want answers."

"They won't be in Anaheim for long," Wildwing assured her.

"Are you going out tonight?" she asked.

Mallory nodded.

"We need to keep an eye on things out there."

"Just be careful. That big guy behind them was a defender. I think they came expecting trouble."

"They'll have to be careful too. They don't want their secret getting out," Wildwing reminded her.

"Still, I wish I could go out with you," Grace said. "They couldn't do anything if I was nearby."

"We can't risk them seeing you," Duke insisted. "We'll be all right, kid."

* * *

When night fell and the streets became less busy, Chase, Vivian, and Golott went to a park near the center of Anaheim. They walked around under the dark night sky as if searching for something.

Finally, Chase looked up at the sky and eyed the bright moon shining down on them.

"Perhaps there is something here that we can't see."

He turned to Golott.

"Send up a blast as high as you can."

Golott created a ball of energy in his hands and tossed it up towards the sky. It hit something and scattered.

"That's it," Chase said. "The barrier is over the city."

"But how?" Vivian asked. "What's keeping it up there?"

Chase looked around the park.

"Or who."

"You're saying there's someone here with powers is doing this?"

"Only another human would know how we operate," Chase said impatiently. "But it would take someone with great power to block us."

"Isn't this something the people from Anaheim could have developed?" Vivian asked.

"I don't see any devices large enough to maintain such a shield. And again, how would they know to block us?"

He turned back to Golott.

"Can you get any kind of readings on this barrier?"

Golott looked at him skeptically.

"I strike things. I don't analyze them."

"Try hitting it again," Vivian encouraged. "Maybe you can destroy it."

Golott started to gather his energy again, but then other strange figures appeared in the park around them.

"Well, look at the tourists!" a green creature with bulging eyes said with a laugh as it drew out a blaster.

A great orange dinosaur-like soldier thumped his tail and raised his fists. And an eerie ghoulish being appeared out of a mist with a staff. They were all accompanied by robots.

"We're from OtherEarth, Inc. I don't who you are, but you have no business in interfering with our affairs," Chase demanded.

The orange tank and the green lizard laughed.

"We're villains," the ghoul said. "Ruining people's lives is exactly our business."

Fire ignited in his hands, and to their great astonishment, he began to throw it at them. The little green creature was shooting at them, and the orange one started picking up park benches and throwing them.

The three humans ran back to their cars, but Chase halted when he saw the ducks watching from the other side of the street. He and the other humans started towards them.

"These are your villains, aren't they? Why are you dealing with them?!" he demanded.

"'Cause we don't get paid enough," Duke said, leaning back against the Migrator. "You willin' to make us an offer?"

"It probably wouldn't be enough," Mallory said.

Chase turned to Wildwing angrily.

"You're just going to stand there and do nothing while they try to kill us?"

"Leave town, and they won't follow you," Wildwing advised.

Chase's face grew even more red with rage.

"You will explain what is going on here," he insisted, and then he faced Golott. "Do something with those reptiles, or what did we bring you here for?"

The big defender ignited a large ball of energy in his hands and threw it at the approaching Saurians. It struck them and knocked them all flat.

"Ask them about the barrier," Vivian demanded spitefully.

The ducks were silent until Wildwing said, "We don't know what you're talking about."

Chase gestured to Golott, and he threw another burst of energy up at the sky where it hit the dome.

"Where did it come from?" Chase demanded. "Or the next one of those comes at you."

Golott readied his blast, but from the top of the dome, a streak of energy like lightning came surging down and struck Golott. He was thrown the ground, and Vivian shrieked as she darted beside the car.

Even the ducks stood back in surprise, but Wildwing quickly recovered from the surprise and walked towards Chase with a stern gaze.

"You haven't been welcome in Anaheim since you arrived. It's past time for you to leave … go now, and don't come back."

Chase's gaze was still full of rage, but he also looked pale in the moonlight. He finally stepped back and pulled Golott over to his car. He ordered Vivian to get in it and drive the unconscious thug before walking back to his own car.

"This is not over," Chase threatened, but he got in his car and drove away with Vivian following in the other car.

The ducks watched as they headed east out of town. Duke looked up at the dome and said,

"That was a sight."

Wildwing gestured to Mallory and Nosedive.

"Get the duckcycles and make sure they leave town. We have to know this isn't a trick."

They nodded and rushed off.

Wildwing and the other ducks walked over to the Saurians, who were groaning and just beginning to get up.

"This is what you wanted to happen," Wraith said as he winced.

"We didn't know they were bringing a defender when we talked to Dragaunus," Wildwing said.

As if overhearing his name, Dragaunus teleported to the scene and ignored the state of his henchmen.

"That human has information that I want," he reminded the ducks.

Wildwing sighed and turned back to Grin and Tanya.

"Take the Migrator and bring Grace back here. Make sure she's not seen by anyone."

Several minutes later, Grace arrived with them wearing her jacket with the hood. When she saw Chameleon, Wraith, and Siege, she spread her hands out to them and her power healed them of any pain or bruises caused by the defender.

"Yeah, I can see why we wanna keep this one around," Chameleon said, stretching happily.

"But she certainly took her time," Wraith said grimly. "Not like when it came to helping the ducks."

He gestured towards the dome with his staff. Grace said nothing in reply and just turned to Dragaunus.

"The location of those crystals," he demanded.

She drew out a piece of paper and held it out.

"These are the coordinates."

Wildwing took it from her quickly and carried to Dragaunus before the Saurian overlord could approach her.

"That's what was agreed upon. Don't ask for more."

Dragaunus snatched the paper, and steam rose from his nostril as his eyes flashed greedily.

"She's done quite a bit for you. She can do some things for us if she's going to stay."

"Grace's here to heal and protect the city," Wildwing insisted. "That's enough."

Before Dragaunus could speak again, Klegghorn's car drove up to the park, and the captain stepped out and walked towards them. The Saurian overlord looked from Klegghorn to Grace, turning his gaze to Wildwing's nervous expression.

"Grace go with Grin back to the Migrator," Wildwing said in a low voice.

But Grace seemed dazed as if she didn't hear him, and Klegghorn was getting very close. Duke swept Grace behind him as Grin came up alongside him.

Dragaunus moved his hand away from his teleporter and suddenly stepped out in front of Klegghorn's path much to the ducks' surprise.

"So you're here too," Klegghorn said suspiciously as he halted. "You know how many times you've destroyed city property?"

"Not enough," Dragaunus said coldly.

Wildwing stepped forward.

"Klegghorn, what is it?"

"Two of my officers radioed in to say they saw those jerks headed out of town. I thought you might want to know."

"Yes, we might have had to use some intense persuasion," Wildwing said. "But they won't be able to bother the city now."

"Good, just keep that dome powered up that you all made. Though I still can't see it," Klegghorn said as he looked up.

"Cloaking technology is nothing new to those of us from other worlds," Dragaunus said with a sneer.

"Another crack about how primitive Earthlings are and I'll arrest you for being in the park after hours," Klegghorn said gruffly.

Wildwing raised his hands.

"All right, Captain. We're all leaving. And you'll know the dome is working by the fact that everyone's staying strong and healthy. That's proof enough."

Captain Klegghorn huffed and walked back to his car.

Wildwing cast a surprised look at Dragaunus as the captain drove away.

"I won't have these pitiful Earth-dwellers jeopardizing this," Dragaunus said gesturing to the dome. "If you can't keep the girl hidden, then we will."

And with that he and his henchmen teleported away, and the ducks breathed easier when they were alone. But Duke turned back to Grace.

"What's wrong, sweetheart? Why'd you freeze up?"

She looked worried.

"We have to get to the far side of town right away. It's Nosedive and Mallory."

Wildwing's eyes widened, and they hurried to the Migrator.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Grace directed them to where they needed to go, but Wildwing mostly knew which streets to follow. When they were only a few miles from the city limits, Grace had them stop, and she rushed out of the Migrator to the far side of the road ahead of them. The other ducks followed her, and they saw two duckcycles collapsed by some palm trees. Nosedive and Mallory were sprawled on the ground.

Without hesitating, Grace spread her hands over them and closed her eyes. Her healing power stretched out to them and wrapped them in light. After a minute or so, she stopped and stepped back. Nosedive and Mallory opened their eyes and sat up as the others hurried to them.

"Those humans stopped on the edge of town, just before leaving the dome, and I think they attacked us," Mallory said. "We were hit before we could do anything about it."

"It was so strong," Nosedive said. "It was like I couldn't move or even breathe."

Grace leaned against the nearest tree and put her head in her hands.

"You could have been killed out here. They wanted revenge, so they didn't hold back and drew as much energy from you as they could," she said. "I was distracted, or I would have seen the danger sooner."

"We're okay. Thanks to you," Mallory said, reassuringly as Tanya helped her up. "Thankfully, we were already slowing down on our duckcyles, so we didn't crash."

"Just collapsed," Nosedive said as he got up and dusted himself off.

"I shouldn't have sent you out here," Wildwing sighed. "I underestimated them."

"Yeah, it looked like Grace's lightning bolt had them pretty scared," Duke said. "That was good work by the way."

Grace smiled.

"Well, I was tired of that brute hitting my dome with his pitiful blasts."

Wildwing looked around warily.

"Let's get you back to the Pond, Grace. We've had you out in the open a lot tonight."

Grace had kept the hood of her jacket up around her head, and she pulled at it again nervously as she followed them back to the Migrator. But she could feel that the other humans had gone.

* * *

At a hotel several hours from Anaheim, Chase and Vivian finally stopped. Golott had just started to regain consciousness, but he had a bad headache and wanted to rest. They chose a few connected rooms and met in one of them with drinks as Golott lay on the couch.

"We still don't know enough," Vivian said bitterly.

"There's another one of our race in that city," Chase said confidently. "That's the only explanation."

"One that has too much power," Vivian protested, pointing to Golott. "This wasn't supposed to happen. No defender would be any good to us against we what saw."

"Well, at least we got a little of our own back before we left," Chase said with a smug expression as he flexed his arm. "Maybe put a few ducks in the hospital as well."

Vivian didn't appear convinced.

"As I said, this solves nothing."

Chase fell silent in thought for a few moments before asking,

"What would one of us fear if we had that kind of power?"

"Discovery by the Agency."

"Exactly. We'll persuade them to send an investigator out there and see what comes of that."

"We don't have proof," Vivan said.

"I have some sway with the president of the Off-World Agency," Chase assured her. "Now is the time to use those powerful friends we've been collecting. Just a hint from me that laws are being broken and there is some threat, and they'll be combing that city for fugitives."

Vivan raised her glass to him and took a drink.

"It's a shame that we couldn't have met this gifted person though," Chase said. "I wouldn't mind putting that kind of power to use within our own circles. It could be quite helpful."

"Tell that to Golott," Vivan sneered. "I don't think whoever it is wants to work with us."

"Then the only option is elimination," Chase said with a shrug. "We can't have someone disrupting our operations and sharing our secrets."

"When the problem is eliminated, I want those ducks to pay," Vivian said. "I don't care if draws attention and questions. We'll find a way to put the blame on something else."

"They will," Chase assured her. "As we proved tonight, they can't stand against us without protection."

* * *

When Grace awoke the next morning, it was already 10 a.m. _I must have been more tired than I thought._ She sat up in her bunk and looked around the room the ducks had given her. _Hmm, pretty bare_ , she thought, looking around at the mostly empty quarters. Grace had only brought a bag of clothes and a few belongings from New Haven. But then she had never had much to make any place a home here in this world.

 _Can't stay any place too long or get weighed down in my situation_ , Grace reminded herself. Being able to move quickly and travel light had been a necessity to avoid detection by the Off-World Agency. She rose, got dressed, and brushed her hair before leaving her room in search of a late breakfast.

Upon reaching the galley, Grace was surprised to see the ducks gathered there as well. Wildwing sat reading the paper as he drank his coffee. Tanya toasted bagels as Mallory set out the cream cheese from the refrigerator. Grin sat on the other side of the room meditating in a silent and still pose. Duke was cutting the peel from an orange in one long piece with a small knife. Nosedive grabbed an unopened box of cereal and opened it from the bottom.

"What are you doing?" Grace asked with a laugh as she watched him pull out the plastic bag of cereal inside and shake the box.

"Looking for the prize, girlie girl!"

When the box proved empty, Nosedive tossed it aside and shook the bag of cereal. The sight of a green item inside another little package inside could be seen briefly, and Nosedive tore open the bag and drew it out.

"I think you're supposed to eat the cereal and then get the prize," Grace said as she took the bag of cereal from him before he spilled it all.

"Who wants to wait? Besides, I'm pretty sure Duke stole the prize out of the last cereal box when I didn't go after it first."

"I never confessed to nothin'," Duke said without looking away from his orange.

Nosedive opened the smaller package and pulled out a green octopus-like shape that wobbled and almost appeared sticky. He flung it at the wall, and it stuck before beginning to roll down the wall at a slow speed due to its stickiness.

"Awesome, wall-crawler, right?" Nosedive asked Grace, seeming pleased with his prize.

Grace smiled and nodded as she set the cereal aside.

"Hey, we've got an extra bagel here if you want it," Tanya offered.

"Yes, please," Grace said eagerly as she grabbed a plate. "How come you all are just eating breakfast now? I figured that I overslept."

"I think we were all tired after last night," Wildwing said, handing the paper to Duke. "And the city feels safer now that we've gotten rid of our unwanted guests."

Grace poured herself some milk and carried it with her bagel to the table, sitting across from Wildwing and Duke. But she didn't start eating right away once she was seated.

"I know you said I could stay in Anaheim, but the dome is in place now and I doubt you'll have more outsiders coming in to the city for awhile at least. I can move on if I need to. I'm used to it, and I know it may be weird for you keep me hidden here."

"You keep bringin' this up," Duke said, lowering the paper. "Do you want to leave, sweetheart?"

"No, but…"

"Then stop asking about it," Wildwing said with a smile.

Grace looked down at her bagel as Tanya and Mallory joined them at the table.

"We're not trying to keep you here though if you don't want to stay," Mallory said gently.

"It's not that," Grace said quickly. "I'm just not used to staying in one place very long. I think it's making me nervous to break from my usual pattern, and I just don't want you to feel obligated to give me shelter …and feed me."

Tanya pushed some cream cheese towards Grace.

"Aw, stop worrying about it. It's the least we can do after all the help you've given us."

"I would actually prefer that you remain at the Pond if you don't mind staying," Wildwing said. "You'll have enemies at OtherEarth, Inc. who will be looking for you. I think you're safer here with us."

"Yeah, out there someone from the Off-World Agency could find and seize you," Duke said. "But we wouldn't let them take you."

"I wouldn't want to get you in any trouble," Grace said. "Of course, they'd have to find me first. And I don't see that happening."

Suddenly, Nosedive's green octopus came flying across the room and hit the wall above Mallory's head. Mallory reached up and grabbed it from the wall before flinging it back at him.

Nosedive caught it and was about to throw it back at her when Grace turned and swept her hand towards him. The green octopus suddenly stuck fast to Nosedive's hand and wouldn't come off.

"Hey, what! Not cool, Gracie girl!"

Mallory mouthed thank you, and Grace smiled as she let him try to pull it off for another minute before waving her hand again and causing the octopus to fall to the floor.

"And he wonders why I stole the last prize," Duke said, raising the paper again.

* * *

A day after Chase returned to New Haven with Vivian and Golott, he sat in his office at OtherEarth, Inc. and dialed a number on his phone for the Off-World Agency. He waited a few moments, and then he said,

"Mr. Darrit… Chase Farrow here, …yes, thank you for taking my call. How's the family?"

There was a pause as Chase listened and tapped his pen on his desk.

"How wonderful. … OtherEarth, Inc.? Oh, yes, we're doing quite well, but a few of us were on a business trip the other day, and well, we stumbled across something a bit concerning."

Chase paused again.

"Indeed, sir. You know you can always count on our support. That's why I'm calling. We truly believe your agents need to take a closer look at a certain city."

Another pause as more questions came.

"Yes, I think it definitely warrants the Agency's attention. Where? It's a place called Anaheim."

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	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Just a few weeks after the unwelcome visitors to Anaheim had been chased out, an investigator from the Off-World Agency appeared in Captain Klegghorn's office, much to his annoyance.

"I've received information about strange events occurring in your city," the investigator said as he flashed his ID.

"Mr. Mulligan, you're about two weeks too late. We already had problems with outsiders in Anaheim, but they're long gone."

"Yes, I am aware of the incidents that occurred between the first and second of May."

"So what are you doin' in my office?!" Klegghorn demanded.

"We have concerns that your city may be in danger from …unknown forces."

Klegghorn did not appear convinced.

"Is this about the lizards?"

Mulligan sighed.

"No, captain, this is not about the Saurians or any other villains. Although, there is some question as to whether the Saurians did not cross a line during the timeframe I mentioned earlier."

"You can have the pleasure of talking about that with them," Klegghorn said, pointing a pen at the investigator. "Reprimanding alien overlords is not in my job description."

Mulligan did not appear pleased.

"The reason I'm here is to ask if you know of any other outsiders residing in Anaheim at this time … or any other time in recent weeks."

"No, of course there's no one else here," Klegghorn scoffed. "Someone would have seen them if there were."

"You have no reason to believe there might be at least one in hiding?"

Klegghorn tapped his pen impatiently on his desk.

"And why would an outsider be doing that?"

"Some outsiders are dangerous. Not all of them have been cleared by our office. The ones that are more of a threat tend to keep a low profile lest they be identified. My information leads me to wonder if there is one here."

"What information?"

"That's classified."

Klegghorn scowled at the investigator.

"First, you disrupt my day by waltzing into this office, and then, you refuse to share information about the safety of my city. Stop wasting my time and find the door, pal."

Klegghorn appeared in no mood for further discussion, and Mr. Mulligan picked up his briefcase and walked out.

Klegghorn waited until the man walked out of police headquarters to pick up his phone.

"Wildwing, we got another guest in town."

* * *

Wildwing turned off his com a few minutes later, and he hurried to find Grace and the other ducks.

"There's someone from the Off-World Agency poking around town," he announced when he found Grace and three of the other ducks.

Grace stood up with a concerned look.

"Dude, why would they send someone?" Nosedive asked.

"Maybe someone saw Grace and reported her," Tanya said nervously. "Or Dragaunus changed his mind."

"More likely Chase went to the Off-World Agency," Grace said coldly. "He has friends there, and having suspected there was someone here to challenge them, he's released the hounds."

"If they don't have proof that you're here, there's nothing they can do," Wildwing said, thinking out loud. "But we have to make sure you stay hidden."

"If they come here, we don't have to let them into the Pond," Tanya said. "We can send them away."

"That might stir up more suspicion. It would be better to let this investigator in, and for him to find nothing."

"I can hide well enough that they won't find me," Grace said.

Wildwing looked down at his com beeped.

"That's probably the investigator now. Grace, hide yourself, and the rest of you, go and warn the others."

Wildwing made his way to the main level of the Pond where he found Phil talking to the investigator. Listening to Phil chatter on to the agent made Wildwing thankful he had resolved to keep Grace's presence a secret from the overly talkative manager.

"And here's our goalie and team leader!" Phil said cheerily as he saw Wildwing approach. "Mr. Mulligan says he's here from the Off-World Agency."

"Really?" Wildwing asked, feigning surprise. "What can we do for you, Mr. Mulligan?"

The thin man in a gray suit held a notepad and pen in his hands. He tipped his hat to Wildwing.

"Mr. Flashblade, I was hoping to request a meeting in your headquarters. Perhaps I could speak to you and your teammates?"

"About what?" Wildwing prompted.

"It is something I would rather discuss below. Do you mind?"

Wildwing shrugged.

"We don't usually allow guests into our headquarters, but I suppose we could make an exception."

He started to lead the way to their locker room and the elevator entrance, but Phil called out,

"Don't forget about the public appearance at the mall tomorrow, boobie!"

Wildwing sighed and waved off Phil's reminder.

"He's relentless sometimes," Wildwing said to Mulligan, but the investigator walked on silently. "I have to admit that it is strange for us to have someone from the Agency here. I thought your offices just dealt with outsiders."

"We take a special interest in the safety of our world. As you and your team are a force dedicated to the protection of this city and upholders of justice, I trust that you will understand why we would want your cooperation."

Wildwing activated the elevator.

"Cooperation with what?"

"I'll wait until your teammates are gathered to speak," Mulligan said, tucking his notepad and pen away.

Once the elevator stopped and opened on one of the lower levels, Wildwing let Mulligan step out first and then followed him.

"Could you ask your teammates to join us?" the man asked.

Wildwing activated his com and asked the others to join them in the Ready Room. It took a few minutes for the other ducks to arrive, but finally they were all gathered together.

"This is Mr. Mulligan from the Off-World Agency. And I guess he has some questions for us," Wildwing told them.

"Is there anyone else here in the Pond?" Mulligan asked, looking first to Wildwing and then to the other ducks.

"Why would there be anyone else here?" Tanya asked. "This is our headquarters."

Mulligan drew out a device from his pocket and turned it on. It began beeping steadily, and there was a needle moving back and forth over a scale.

"This device will tell me if the person I am looking for has been here or is here now," he said. "If you want to spare yourselves some trouble, you should go ahead and tell me the truth."

Some of the ducks cast worried glances at Wildwing, but their leader just stood by calmly and watched their visitor. The needle on the device started to move over towards the red numbers on the scale, but suddenly it began sweeping back to the yellow and green numbers. It beeped erratically and then the beeping became one long annoying tone until it faded away. The needle was flung over to the green numbers on the low end of the scale, and it vibrated there.

Mulligan raised the device and tapped it with one finger. He seemed frustrated with the reading.

"Aside from calling us liars, what is it you're trying to do?" Wildwing asked with a confused tone. "It's time you explained why you stepped into our headquarters and demanded a meeting."

"Mr. Flashblade, if you are hiding an unregistered outsider, you are obligated to report such an alien at once. To refuse to comply would be committing a capital offense. You do understand this?"

Duke laughed.

"Understand a ridiculous charge like that? You think there's an outsider, here?"

Mulligan did not appear amused.

"Why on earth would there be an outsider here?" Wildwing asked.

"Several weeks ago, you came to OtherEarth, Inc. seeking assistance from one of our registered humans, did you not?"

"I did," Wildwing said. "And I left without receiving any help. Did they tell you that?"

Mulligan looked at his notebook.

"It says here that you came on a complaint about your friends' health. If you left alone, why do your teammates appear so healthy now?"

"Because we got better, duh," Nosedive scoffed. "A little vitamin C, plenty of naps, you know man, you just gotta drink a lot of fluids."

"I am supposed to believe they all recovered on their own?" Mulligan said, accusingly as he turned to Wildwing.

"I'm not sure what to tell you to _believe_ ," Wildwing said coldly. "Do you know what was causing them to be sick in the first place? Can you explain their illness to me? None of the doctors I asked could do that."

Mulligan grew quiet, and Wildwing knew he didn't have any answers.

"Then I can't explain how they recovered. But they did, thankfully …without the help of any of your outsiders who charge an arm and a leg for their services."

The investigator looked around at the other ducks who watched him with cold and doubtful expressions.

"You do understand that if there were any unregistered outsiders in Anaheim, even just one of them could cause terrible damage and the deaths of several innocent civilians?"

"Who are these unregistered outsiders you keep asking us about?" Duke asked. "We only know of the ones in offices in OtherEarth, Inc."

"Yes, some of them came to visit Anaheim a few weeks ago," Mulligan said. "I understand they received a very cold reception from you."

"Is that what this is about?" Wildwing said with a sigh. "Yes, they came to Anaheim, trying to sell us their services _again_. They seemed to think we needed their help even after they saw that my teammates were healthy and strong again. We might have been less than friendly."

"It's hard to be welcoming when you feel you're being cheated," Mallory said with a forced smile.

"I was told the Saurians attacked them, and you didn't try to stop them. That's quite unusual for you, isn't it? The Saurians are your enemies after all."

"Yeah, well, Dragaunus doesn't like being cheated either," Nosedive said.

"They had a defender with them. They didn't need our help," Wildwing said bluntly.

Mulligan stood in silence for a few moments before he said,

"I need to conduct a tour of your headquarters as part of my investigation."

"Fine," Wildwing sighed. "I still don't understand what you think you'll find."

Mulligan told the rest of the ducks to remain in the main room as he and Wildwing toured the Pond. As the investigator walked through each hall and entered every room, he carried his device with him. It whined occasionally, but the needle always remained within the range of green numbers. Wildwing felt impatient for the search to be over, but lest they give Mulligan any reasons to be suspicious, he showed the investigator every single part of the Pond. Grace never appeared during any of it.

When at last Wildwing returned with Mulligan to the Ready Room, the other ducks were standing around waiting for them.

"So did you find anyone?" Tanya asked sarcastically.

Mulligan tucked his device away.

"Your headquarters appears devoid of suspects, but I have one more thing to show you before I go."

He drew out an envelope containing pictures and handed them out to the ducks. The pictures were all different, and yet, they all displayed images of destruction to buildings and homes.

"Those were all caused by unregistered outsiders. They're dangerous. It's my job to make sure they don't run loose to destroy cities and lives. If you ever come across an outsider who can't prove registration or seems to possess unusual powers, it's your duty to report that alien to our Agency at once. Or something like this will be your fault."

Wildwing considered the picture in his hand and then gave it back to Mulligan.

"Protecting Anaheim is our responsibility. We'll do what we have to keep it safe."

Mulligan accepted the pictures back from them.

"I hope that's true." He put the pictures away, but then he turned to them with one last request. "Do you have a way for me to get in touch with the Saurians while I'm here?"

"Do you have a death wish?" Mallory asked.

"It's merely my job to question everyone," Mulligan said, though he did not appear to be looking forward the prospect.

"There's plenty of other people in Anaheim to talk to," Duke offered.

"We can't contact the Saurians for you," Wildwing said. "Every time we find the Raptor, they move it and hide it again. But even if you could get in touch with them, I wouldn't go asking for a tour of their ship. Dragaunus would likely just let his henchmen drag you to a cell."

Mulligan considered that and then cleared his throat as he nodded.

"Well, I suppose my business is finished here then."

Wildwing led him back to the elevator.

"I'll show you out."

The other ducks breathed with relief when he was finally gone. Duke decided to go off and look for Grace, but she appeared before he left the room.

"Where'd you go to hide?" he asked.

Grace raised her hand and suddenly it became invisible.

"I was here most of the time."

"Cool trick!" Nosedive said. "I wasn't sure if we were ever going to get rid of that guy."

"Did you cause his device to have a different reading?" Tanya asked.

Grace nodded.

"It wasn't that different from manipulating other objects, but it was starting to give me a headache controlling it for so long."

When Wildwing returned, he nodded to Grace, assuring her that their guest was gone, and she smiled in return.

"Have you ever known any others with powers like yours?" he asked after a thoughtful silence.

Grace sat down on a couch. Having overheard what Mulligan had told them about the pictures, she understood where the question was coming from.

"I have known some of them. It's not an easy thing for me to talk about though. But I think I can explain those pictures you saw."


	10. Chapter 10

**Don't forget that chapters are getting published two at a time lately. Chapter 9 is also a new addition to this story.**

* * *

Chapter 10

Grace drew out a small cord like a bracelet with circular wooden tokens hanging from it as the ducks gathered closer.

"I keep this as a reminder. In answer in to your question, I've known of five others with levels of power not permitted by the Agency. Two of them I knew well, and I considered them friends. The other three, I just knew of them. I can't really vouch for their actions or motives."

She held out the bracelet, and they saw that there were five of the tokens on it, each marked with a name.

"I don't know if there are any more left besides me. I highly doubt it."

"And these five?" Wildwing asked as he sat down near her. "You said 'knew'. Are they…?"

"Dead? Yes, they were all executed in the lower levels of the Agency," she answered. "The two that were my friends. I could hear their pleas and last thoughts …even see what they saw …right up to the moment they were killed. That is how I know what my fate would be if I was revealed."

"You were able to see it?" Nosedive asked with surprise and sympathy.

Grace held the bracelet and tenderly fingered the tokens.

"They were calling out to me…warning me. I heard them, and our minds were connected in their last minutes. It was the worst thing I've ever experienced."

The ducks sat or stood in silence around her.

"I know you are thinking about the pictures the agent showed you. As I said, I cannot vouch for the other three humans with great power. I suspect that they grew resentful, fearful, and angry at not being accepted in your world. Or perhaps they just didn't learn how to control their powers. It's no excuse for any destruction they caused, but you have to understand that your world is not a kind place for those of us who are fugitives. And our own kind shun and betray us."

"How did you learn about their existence?" Mallory asked. "You said you weren't friends."

"I never really had the chance to meet them," Grace said. "I learned about them only after they had exposed themselves with some destructive display of power. They had already been seized by the Agency. I might catch names and descriptions from those who knew them before their arrest, but that was it."

"Did the ones who were your friends try to help those from our world as you have done?" Tanya asked.

"They wanted to," Grace said with a smile. "We made plans, Alex, Jane, and me. But we hadn't learned how to be careful yet. We split up and were looking for places that needed our help. Jane made the mistake of talking with registered humans. They betrayed her. And Alex tried to stand up to some others who were stealing power. Alex was involved in some collateral damage, as I found out later, but only because a defender tried to attack him. But Alex didn't kill anyone. We're not the monsters the Agency believes we are."

Wildwing held out his hand for the bracelet, and Grace handed it to him.

"We won't forget what you've done here," he assured her. "And we can see that those other humans are the ones that have to be stopped."

He handed the bracelet back to her, and Grace nodded.

"I don't want to die," she admitted. "But apart from my own fears about death, if I am the last, then without me, there's little protection from the greed of the other outsiders. I don't want them to be able to keep selling their lies."

"You may not want to talk about it, but I'm not sure I understand how they were able to kill your friends if they were so powerful," Tanya said.

"The Agency has weapons that can weaken us," Grace explained. "Alex and Jane must have been using all of their remaining power to contact me and warn me when our minds were connected. But I could feel how trapped they felt. Despite their power, they couldn't escape. I was just fortunate that the investigator did not use such a weapon today in the Pond. Of course, he would have had to know where I was to use it against me."

"Has your power increased over the years you have been here?" Wildwing asked.

"A little, I think," Grace admitted. "It's not always easy to tell since I try not to use my power unless I need to. But Alex and Jane couldn't do the things I can now."

She grew quiet and despondent again.

"I sometimes think that I should have tried to save them. I don't know how I would have done it, but I should have tried. But their last efforts were spent telling me to hide …urging me to run, and so I did."

"The Agency would have learned of your existence if you had tried to help your friends," Mallory said. "They would have never stopped hunting you."

"It might have been worth it if I could have saved even one of them. I often thought about that while I was hiding for several months. But I couldn't remain in such a lonely existence for long. When I came out, I decided to pass myself off a human without powers. But then when I saw how the others were still taking cruel advantages of your world, I had to do something. So I was careful. And despite how dangerous it seems, I found that I was actually safest living and working right under their noses at OtherEarth, Inc. As a janitor, everyone just ignored me."

"It allowed you to help us," Wildwing said.

"Yes, but now that they can't draw energy from Anaheim any more, they will focus more on stealing from other places."

"Other cities will become as bad as Anaheim was," Duke said.

"Do you know where these other places are?" Tanya asked.

"No, not at the moment. I might be able to try to find out."

"Don't try it yet," Wildwing said as he stood up. "That investigator may still be in town for a day or so. We need to make sure he leaves and the Agency drops this matter before you use your power again."

* * *

"We sent you to Anaheim with credible information, and you didn't find anyone?" Chase Farrow said coldly as he stood before Mulligan.

Mulligan sat back in his chair in his small office at the Off-World Agency base in New Haven.

"You sent me there with hints, conjectures… I had no proof."

"The proof was yours to gather," Chase insisted. "How could you fail to find this threat?"

"I'm not sure there is a threat to find. My monitoring device did not read any positive signs of such power. And the ducks, who strive to protect Anaheim, seemed utterly unaware of any danger."

"They were hostile to us while we were there. I'm telling you that they are hiding someone."

"Perhaps they just don't like you," he said, staring up at Chase's face.

Chase glared back at him, but Mulligan appeared unfazed.

"I went to Anaheim as a favor to you as our president seems to honor your work, but I've done my job, and now I have other paperwork to get back to."

"What about those lizards …the villains that attacked us?" Chase asked. "Is nothing going to be done to them? Are they not going to be investigated?"

Mulligan shuffled some papers on his desk.

"You're not from this world, so you don't understand the delicate nature of the co-existence between heroes, civilians, and villains in our world. There is a certain balance that has to be preserved. Villains steal things and attack others all of the time. It's up to the heroes to establish justice. It is not the job of this agency to deal with them unless we know for a fact that they possess an unregistered outsider."

"Very likely they do if you didn't find this rebel with the ducks."

"Then the ducks would have shared their concerns with me," Mulligan said confidently. "Why would they want the Saurians to possess someone with so much destructive power? For that matter, why would the Saurians want someone who could easily destroy their ship and possibly be a threat to their lives? I don't understand why you are insisting that this dangerous individual is being hidden and protected. Of what possible benefit or use could such a threat serve?"

Chase closed his lips. His mouth formed a tight line, and his face was slightly red with anger. That dome was still functioning over Anaheim. Whoever was fighting on the other end of this battle for the city was winning.

He needed proof to stir the Agency to action again, but he couldn't tell them about the dome without revealing its purpose. He couldn't let these fools at the Agency learn the truth about how he got his power.

"I can see that we will have to rely on our own resources to flush out this threat," Chase said as he turned to leave. "And when we find the dangerous outsider, I will be certain to let your boss know that we had to do your job for you."

Mulligan only looked away with a frown as Chase walked out of the office.

Chase left the Agency and drove back across town to OtherEarth, Inc. When he reached the conference room on the fifth floor, he was met by the sight of several of his colleagues waiting for news. Vivian and Golott, the defender, approached him first.

"Well?" Vivan asked.

"That fool didn't look hard enough," Chase announced, shaking his head.

"But if he scanned the area, he should have…"

"Yes, but somehow the scan failed. Their agent doesn't believe there is anyone with unregistered power in Anaheim."

"How could the scan not detect all that is happening there?" Vivian said angrily.

Chase shrugged his shoulders with a frustrated expression.

"But that dome's still stopping us from drawing energy from Anaheim," Golott protested. "What are we supposed to do?"

"We'll have to rely upon our other locations until we are able to learn more about our rival," Chase said.

"What if they start to notice a difference?" Vivian asked.

"Yeah, the good thing about Anaheim was we thought no one cared," Golott said.

"Well, as long as they can't prove anything, we can still get away with whatever we want," Chase said confidently. "And we'll heal anyone who can pay."

"And for those who can't, they'll pay a different kind of price," Vivian said with a smug expression.

 **Leave reviews - feedback helps!**

 **When I post new chapters, I'll be addressing one of these other locations, so the ducks will still be an important part of the story, but don't be surprised if things change a bit. Upcoming crossover chapters!**


	11. Chapter 11

**So in the midst of writing this story, it became a crossover. It didn't start that way, but it's very easy to merge the worlds of Disney's Mighty Ducks and Disney's Gargoyles, as both involve characters living in human cities. It's just that one is on the west coast and the other on the east coast. Again, I own none of these characters.**

 **Instead of posting two chapters at once this time, I just wrote a longer chapter.**

* * *

Chapter 11

Events in Anaheim finally quieted down after the inspector from Off-World Agency left town. Grace settled into her new life at the Pond, even developing a sort of routine as weeks passed. When the ducks were in their headquarters, she helped Tanya in the lab, read comics or played video games with Nosedive, or did something with the other ducks. Duke was teaching her some chess strategies or talking about books with her since they both liked to read. She had also been asking him to give her lessons in dueling, admiring his skill with a saber, though she also enjoyed Mallory's training with puck launchers.

However, the ducks also had to devote time to hockey practice and crime fighting, so when they were gone, Grace had to remain hidden in the lower levels lest Phil or someone else see her. At first, it wasn't difficult to amuse herself, but she was starting to grow bored and wished she could move more freely about Anaheim.

One afternoon, while Grace watched a movie with some of the ducks, Wildwing's com began to beep. Trying not to disturb the others, he rose and stepped out of the room as he answered it.

"Mr. Xanatos, this is a surprise."

"Yes, I know this must be unexpected. I've sought contact with you because Goliath and the gargoyles are growing weaker by the day."

"They're sick?" Wildwing asked.

"In truth, the whole of Manhattan …of New York is falling to this illness," Xanatos admitted. "I sought remedies for myself with my wife and son. We could afford it, but I begin to feel that such a remedy was only temporary. We still seem susceptible to this strange illness."

Wildwing listened in silence.

"Goliath told me just this past night that he had heard from you and that your teammates were very sick at one point, but there had not been any more bad news from you."

"You want to know how we feel," Wildwing said, anticipating the question.

"Yes, I see that you look well. And your team?"

"They are well."

Xanatos stared hard at him.

"And yet, you seem very quiet on the subject of their recovery. Did you pay for the services of a healer from OtherEarth, Inc.?"

"You probably know we couldn't afford that," Wildwing said with a knowing look.

Xanatos responded with a grim smile.

"I am sorry to hear about the gargoyles," Wildwing said. "If I could tell you anything helpful, um… _during_ this call, I would."

"I see. Well, I guess there is no point in my taking up more of your time. Good day, Wildwing."

Wildwing nodded and ended the communication. Then he turned and walked back into the rec room to tell the others what he had learned.

"They're stealing from Manhattan, possibly all of New York," Grace sighed after she heard Wildwing's news. "Most likely they were stealing from it before I closed off Anaheim, but now they have to rely upon it more heavily and the effect is more noticeable."

"But we have to help the gargoyles," Nosedive said quickly. "They could be in really bad shape."

Wildwing cast a solemn gaze at Grace, and Duke spoke up,

"Each time we have Grace use her power, she risks discovery. What if her secret isn't safe in New York?"

"I can't hide forever," Grace protested. "I want to help."

"Grace would find some good allies in New York," Wildwing admitted. "Xanatos could prove useful when it comes to her defense if she is discovered."

"Do you really think we can trust him?" Mallory asked skeptically.

"He needs her help too," Wildwing said. "If Dragaunus can recognize her value, surely Xanatos can. … Besides, I'm pretty sure he understood my meaning during our call. I basically told him, he'd have to speak to us face to face to learn how we recovered."

"You think he's flyin' out here?" Duke asked. "Will that draw too much attention?"

"Xanatos can be discreet when he wants," Wildwing said. "But it's a risk, I know."

"What about the dome?" Tanya asked. "If Grace goes to New York …"

"It will remain active here," Grace assured her. "Anaheim will be safe. I told you that only my death would destroy it."

"New York is a big city," Mallory cautioned. "Much bigger than Anaheim. You sure you want to go there?"

"It was foolish of those at OtherEarth, Inc. to choose such a place," Grace said. "It will be a challenge for me, but it will draw more attention to these matters. That's bad for them, though it may also be bad for me."

"If you go, I'm going with you," Duke insisted.

Several of the other ducks started to agree, but Grace protested.

"I'm grateful, but I think it will raise too many questions if the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim are present in New York at such a time."

Wildwing nodded.

"Much as I hate to admit it, I think you're right. We'll actually be doing more to protect you if we remain in Anaheim and seem not to be involved. But one of us should go with you at least. Duke is probably the best choice as he has experience keeping a low profile."

"We'll be in and out before people know we're there," Duke agreed.

Grace smiled gratefully, but she appeared less certain.

* * *

Only a few days later, the ducks were watched the news in the rec room, when an alarm from Drake One began to go off.

"The secret elevator's been activated," Wildwing said as he noted the alert.

Mallory pulled Grace into a side corridor as the other ducks drew their weapons and stood guard at the elevator door. But when it opened, David Xanatos and Owen stood inside, returning their gazes with calm demeanor.

"Well, this is quite a way to greet guests," Xanatos said as he stepped out with Owen following at his side.

The ducks lowered their weapons, but they still stood on alert.

"How did you access and operate our elevator?" Tanya asked angrily.

"Your technology really isn't that difficult to manipulate," Owen said disdainfully.

"Let's not insults our hosts, Owen," Xanatos said. "After all, we still need their cooperation."

He turned to Wildwing.

"I took your meaning during our call to be that I had to come here for answers. So, here I am."

Wildwing studied Xanatos as if reconsidering his decision on the New York matter.

"I wanted to bring one of the gargoyles with me, but they were all too stubborn to leave," Xanatos persisted. "Yet, surely, you realize the dire state of their situation."

"I do," Wildwing said sternly. "But before we can reveal anything, I want your word …and his …. that you will keep this secret, even if it means breaking the law."

Xanatos smiled.

"Upholding the law has never been a standard I felt compelled to honor. If you have something that can save my family and the gargoyles, then don't worry, the secret is safe with me."

"What about him?" Duke asked. "Owen, or Puck – whoever he is."

"I will keep any secret that helps Mr. Xanatos," Owen answered.

Wildwing surveyed their faces for a moment, and then he turned and called to Mallory to return. Mallory walked back into the room with her puck launcher still in her hand, and Grace followed her. Xanatos and Owen noted her presence with surprise.

"I thought it wasn't an outsider who helped you," Xanatos said. "You said you couldn't afford their services."

"She's not from OtherEarth, Inc.," Wildwing answered.

Owen studied Grace with a suspicious gaze.

"Does that mean she is unregistered? That's what is illegal about all of this, then isn't it?"

"Unregistered or registered, it makes no difference," Xanatos said, sounding disappointed. "I've tried a healer before. My son and wife are already growing sick again."

"She's not just a healer," Duke said. "The reason she's unregistered is because her power is a lot stronger than the other outsiders'. She can do things they can't."

"Yeah, look at us. Do we look sick?" Nosedive added.

Xanatos considered that, and Grace walked up to Owen. She held out her hand to him.

"Will you let me show you?"

Owen finally put his hand in hers, and Grace closed her eyes. Light suddenly wrapped around Owen, and he transformed into Puck, but he seemed surprised by the transformation. Then Grace released him, and he was Owen again.

"No one may command me but my lord, Oberon. How did you do that?" he asked in surprise.

"I am more powerful that you are," Grace said with a shrug of her shoulders. "By the way, do you feel better?"

"Yes," Owen said, though he still seemed to dislike the power she had just demonstrated.

Xanatos looked at him in surprise.

"Owen, you never said you were growing weak as well. Why didn't you say something?"

"You had your own concerns to worry about, sir. And I did not want you to offer to pay for my recovery."

"That's another thing about her you should know," Wildwing said. "Grace doesn't do this for money."

"You might be missing an opportunity there," Xanatos told her.

Grace answered him with a short scornful laugh before she took his own hand and healed him. Xanatos stood up a little straighter and certainly appeared to feel the effects instantly.

"Your powers do seem more potent than the healer I paid millions to. I must take you back with me to New York. That is where you are needed."

"I will go," Grace agreed. "But there are some things you need to understand first."

* * *

Half an hour later, the truth about the humans at OtherEarth, Inc. had been shared with Xanatos along with information about the dome over Anaheim. The ducks took turns filling him in, and Grace only spoke on occasion, mostly listening as Owen did.

Xanatos rose from his chair in anger when it was revealed he had paid the very thieves who were causing the illness.

"They will come to regret that. Though if I wasn't so outraged, I might admire their scheme."

Then he turned back to Grace and the ducks.

"And you are certain that she is different?"

They nodded.

"She didn't have to help us …or tell us any of this," Wildwing said. "And Tanya has research that supports what Grace has said."

"Very well, I believe I understand matters more clearly now. But I am still eager to return to New York with her. We need to take a car back to my jet while it is still dark outside. I would like to keep my presence here unannounced and I'm sure you feel the same."

"I'm going with her," Duke said putting his hand on Grace's shoulder.

"You don't trust me with her?" Xanatos asked as his anger faded to amusement.

"No, not really."

"Mr. Xanatos is far better at keeping secrets than you ever could be," Owen scoffed. "She will be perfectly safe with us."

"Duke will be going with you, or you're not taking Grace," Wildwing insisted. "But yes, Xanatos secrecy is needed. Grace is our friend, and even if that doesn't matter to you, then know that if anything happens to her, we won't have any defense against the other humans."

"What New York is experiencing now is a slow draining of energy, but they can drain you a lot faster than that if they decide to attack," Mallory assured him.

"While the life of my son rests in her hands, nothing will happen to her," Xanatos promised them. "But send your teammate if you wish. I am ready for us to leave."

Duke and Grace had already had some things packed, expecting this time to come soon, so they only needed a moment to say goodbye to the other ducks. Wildwing pulled the hood of Grace's jacket up over her head.

"Keep your head down and stay close to Duke," he said. "We'll miss you, but we'll expect to see you back soon."

She nodded.

"Thank you again, Wildwing, for believing me and giving me a place to hide."

Then she followed Duke with Xanatos and Owen back to the elevator.

* * *

Once Xanatos' private jet took off into the night, Duke turned to Grace and said,

"Maybe you should try to get some sleep."

She seemed uncertain.

"I don't know if I'll be able to, but I can try."

"There's a bed that folds down over there, and you can pull the curtain around it," Xanatos said, as he overhead them. "It's more comfortable than trying to sleep in these seats."

Grace thanked him and walked over to the place he had directed her to. She drew the curtain around the small bed and lay down.

Duke watched over his shoulder for a moment before he turned back to Xanatos and Owen who were sitting with him just outside the cockpit. All was dark outside their windows.

"How long have you noticed people feeling weak and sick?" Duke asked.

"Perhaps a month," Xanatos said. "But it's grown far worse in the last three and a half weeks. I suppose that's because of the protection Anaheim received."

"Even if Grace gives protection to one location, others are still going to suffer as long as this is allowed to go on."

"Agreed," Xanatos said solemnly. "OtherEarth, Inc. must be shut down though it seems as though we need more substantial proof."

Duke nodded.

"When that investigator from the Agency came to the Pond, he didn't seem to understand the sickness we had been struggling with. He knew outsiders could help cure it, but he didn't know what caused it. It's not going to be easy to convince them that they've been hunting down the wrong outsiders."

"To extinguish such limitless sources of power," Xanatos said, shaking his head. "I would have tried to stop it if I had known. Your friend is indeed a precious asset."

Duke's brow furrowed as he stared back at Xanatos with a hard gaze.

"It's not just her power that makes her significant."

"Mr. Xanatos only means that the Agency would have accomplished far more for our world by learning to utilize such power, rather than destroying it."

"It's all right, Owen," Xanatos said with a smile. "The ducks are very attached to the girl."

Duke sat back in his chair and turned his attention to the window. _It was guys like this I used to steal from when I led the Brotherhood of the Blade_ , Duke thought to himself.

When the jet reached New York, the night was already slipping away into morning. Duke and Grace followed Xanatos and Owen off the plane.

"I feared we would not return in time," Xanatos said. "You may have to wait until tonight to help the gargoyles. The dawn will reach them before we can at this point."

"You said your family needed help," Grace said. "I can at least do that."

"So where's the car?" Duke asked, looking around.

"I don't care to wait in traffic," Xanatos said with a smile as he and Owen led them a sleek black helicopter.

Duke surveyed it.

"Well, I'll say this for ya, you do know how to travel in style."

The helicopter carried them to Xanatos' residence within the Eyrie Building. Grace kept her jacket on with her hood pulled up until they were inside.

Xanatos rapidly led them to a bedroom where Fox lay on the bed with her hand over her head as if she had a headache and Alex lay in a cradle near her.

Grace closed her eyes and sent energy out to them. Alex cooed happily, and Fox sat up with more color in her face.

"Did you have to pay them again?" Fox asked her husband.

"No, not this time," Xanatos assured her as he picked up Alex, who reached happily for his father. "I will explain later."

Owen opened the door and walked into the room.

"Sorry to interrupt, sir, but Detective Maza is downstairs demanding to see you. She seems extremely worried about the gargoyles. And she is very weak herself."

"I should help her," Grace said, looking at Xanatos.

"Detective Maza is special case," Xanatos cautioned. "We wouldn't want her to have to report you."

"Elisa knows how to keep a secret," Duke protested.

"Yes, she does," Xanatos acknowledged. "But I would still prefer to speak with the gargoyles before allowing her to learn about Grace. Let me go down and hear her concerns, while you remain here for now."

Grace closed her eyes and concentrated.

"Wait, I can read her thoughts from up here," she said, and Xanatos halted in surprise.

Grace's eyes opened suddenly, and she threw open the curtains over a window. Morning light streamed through.

"Elisa came because it's morning, but the gargoyles are not turning to stone. She fears they are dying," Grace said with an anxious expression.

Duke tensed as he looked at the light of the dawn.

"We have to go to them now."

"We'll take my helicopter," Xanatos agreed. "Owen, go down and tell Elisa I am already on my way to the gargoyles. But try to delay her leaving."

"Why aren't the gargoyles here?" Duke asked. "I thought they were staying in the castle again."

"Goliath decided it's too dangerous for them to remain in one place night after night with the Hunters looking for them. They return to the castle on occasion, but for the past few nights, they've been staying above the top floor of an old factory and warehouse. That's where we'll go first."

* * *

As the helicopter reached the old factory atop which the gargoyles were living, Xanatos, Duke, and Grace climbed down a ladder to the roof, while the pilot took the helicopter to find a place to land.

Grace hurried around the side of a sloped roof to a level platform, and here they saw the gargoyles sprawled out on the roof. The sun shone over the eastern horizon, but the gargoyles were not cast into stone. Yet, many of them lay without moving.

Xanatos walked over to Goliath, who was lying on his wings with his head tilted up to the sky. His eyes were slightly open.

"It is beautiful," he murmured, looking up at the clouds. "But we should not be able to see it. And yet, I cannot sleep."

"You will Goliath," Xanatos assured him. "You will wake refreshed tonight."

"No, this plague upon my clan…"

But his voice faded, and Grace did not want to wait any longer. She held her hands out and closed her eyes. When her eyes opened, Duke recognized the blazing light in them that appeared when she exerted a lot of her power. Xanatos stepped back, and Grace's light wrapped around all of the gargoyles.

Her power lifted them onto their feet, and their forms glowed as the light swept into them. But then Grace curled her hands, and over the radiant forms of the gargoyles, stone began to form. Duke had seen the gargoyles turn to stone before, but he noticed a difference this time. Stone was being imposed over them …almost like a cocoon. The gargoyles and the light were being trapped inside.

When Grace finally ceased her efforts, the gargoyles were hidden within columns of stone on the roof. Xanatos and Duke surveyed them with some confusion.

"What have you done?" Xanatos asked, more with the tone of a question than a concern.

"All magic had been stripped from the gargoyles," Grace explained. "They could not turn to stone as they usually do. I can't exactly replicate their stone sleep, but I wrapped them in stone to hide them and let them rest while they soak up the energy I have given them. No one will be able to steal from them while they rest. And at sunset, they will awake and be themselves again."

Xanatos considered that as he inspected the columns. But suddenly from a door opened across from them, Elisa Maza hurried out, though she stumbled and fell beside the columns.

"Where …where are the gargoyles?" she asked in concern.

Grace stretched a hand out towards Elisa as her eyes lit up again. Elisa's form was also touched by the light, and her head dropped as she seemed to fall asleep. Then Grace lifted the detective from the ground with her power and set her down beside the door under the shelter of an overhanging part of the roof. She cast a web of light over Elisa and stepped back.

"Elisa can awake when the gargoyles do now," Grace said to Xanatos.

"Impressive," he said admiringly.

"We should head back to your place, Xanatos," Duke said, looking around uneasily at the surrounding buildings. "We don't want Grace to be seen out here in the daylight."

* * *

Duke and Grace remained with Xanatos for the rest of the day. Grace tried to rest in the room he provided for her, but she was as eager for night to come as the others. Not because she feared for the gargoyles, but because she wanted to see them healed. Her thoughts were also busy with how she might protect New York from those at OtherEarth, Inc.

Casting a dome here would be a lot more challenging than it was in Anaheim, but something was needed. Her thoughts afforded her little rest, and an hour before sunset, she arose and met with Xanatos and Duke to return to the rooftop.

When they arrived, the sun was sitting low in the western sky, and the stone columns were still intact on the roof. Elisa was still sleeping under a net of light in the corner.

"Will they be able to break out of those?" Duke asked Grace, as he surveyed what seemed like very thick stone.

"Yes, I believe so, but if they can't, I'll cause the stone to crumble around them when they awake," Grace said, seeming unconcerned.

She stood beside Xanatos wearing her jacket. They decided that while it was still light, she should keep her hood up.

As the last the sun sank out of sight, and darkness covered all of the sky. They waited as for a moment nothing seemed to happen, but then the columns began to shake, and light burst through cracks in the stone. The sounds of the gargoyles' roars cut through the night, and stone fragments were cast from the columns around them like chunks of glass. Grace raised a shield in front of her, Duke, and Xanatos to prevent any stone pieces from striking them, but she quickly lowered it as the gargoyles stepped out, flexed their wings, and breathed deeply, appearing like themselves.

"We are whole again!" Hudson said with relief. "And here I thought I was finally seein' my end."

"But that was a strange sleep that we just awoke from," Brooklyn noted.

"Yes, how did this come to be?" Goliath wondered, and then he turned and saw Xanatos and Duke standing with another figure behind them. "Duke L'Orange from the Mighty Ducks. Did you deliver a cure to Xanatos?"

"There's a little more to it than that," Duke said. "But I'm glad to see you're okay."

Goliath appeared about to ask about the one with them, but then he noticed Elisa lying in one corner of the roof. He rushed over to her and pulled at the net of light over her.

"What sorcery is this?"

"She's just sleeping, Goliath," Xanatos said. "I asked my friend here not to wake her up until after we spoke with you."

Goliath walked back to them and stared at the stranger. Grace removed her hood and let him see her face.

"Does this mean you paid for our healing?" he asked Xanatos.

"No," Xanatos said. "Grace is a new ally. She helped the ducks, and now she's helping us. But I think I'll let Duke explain why she needs to remain a secret."

Duke told Goliath about Grace's powers and about the those at OtherEarth, Inc. who were stealing from New York. Goliath's eyes shone brightly with rage more than once as a growl escaped him, but he listened.

"They're nothing but cowards and thieves," Broadway finally protested. "Why don't we go and settle this right now?"

"They would attack you with the full force of their power," Duke warned. "We saw it happen to Nosedive and Mallory once. It nearly killed them. We have to convince the Agency that they are the enemy first."

"How?" Goliath asked in his deep voice. "Elisa has shown me that in this time one must have evidence and proof before the law will act. How do we protect this outsider and expose the others?"

"We're still working on that," Xanatos said. "But now that we know the truth, we can find a solution."

"There is another issue," Grace said, speaking for the first time. "I am glad to see you recovered, but even my efforts are only temporary if OtherEarth, Inc. can keep stealing from you."

Duke put his hand on her arm.

"You can't be thinking of trying to put a dome over all of New York."

"Why not?" Xanatos asked. "That's why I brought her here. You didn't think I wanted just another temporary fix, did you?"

"Putting the dome over Anaheim was almost too much for her. Imagine what will happen if she tries to put one over all of New York," Duke protested.

"The only alternative is for her stay here and constantly replenish what is taken," Xanatos argued. "I'm not going to allow this situation to overtake us again."

Duke began to resist the idea of leaving Grace behind, but Grace quickly stepped in and cut off their discussion.

"A dome does seem highly difficult for New York, but I had another idea this afternoon. I'd like to try it now if the gargoyles will take me to the arches around the top of the Chrysler Building."

"Of course, it means protection for the city," Goliath agreed.

"Then I'm going to let Elisa awake in moment, and I think you should remain behind to speak with her, Goliath. The other gargoyles can bring me, Duke, and Xanatos to Chrysler Building. And we'll see what I am able to do."

"I don't know that there is a need to tell Detective Maza everything," Xanatos said, looking at Goliath.

The lead gargoyle's eyes brightened with some anger, but Grace stepped in again.

"You can decide what to tell her, Goliath. I trust you …and I trust her. But I suppose one benefit of not telling her about me is then she doesn't have to lie to anyone else if questions start being asked."

He considered that and nodded.

"I understand. Elisa has had to help us many times when it conflicted with her duties as a detective. Perhaps I can spare her this."

Grace smiled, and she clasped his claws in her hand and they shook hands. Then she walked over to Angela.

"Can I get a lift?"

"Of course."

She led her to the edge of the roof, and holding onto her, they jumped and Angela glided away with her. Broadway carried Xanatos, and Brooklyn carried Duke. Hudson and Lexington followed behind. Bronx remained behind with Goliath as the web of light disappeared over Elisa and she awoke.

 **More to come next week!**

 **Reviews are much appreciated!**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Elisa opened her eyes as the net of light disappeared over her, and she blinked as she looked up at the night sky. A massive shape leaned over her.

"Goliath?"

"Yes, I am here. How do you feel?"

Elisa sat up as she put her hand in his claws.

"Better, but what happened? I thought I was going to lose you."

"Xanatos found a cure, but do not ask me to explain more at this time. It is enough that we are safe… you are safe, and the rest of the city will soon recover."

"But you're not going to tell me how?" Elisa asked with a skeptical gaze.

"I will, but not tonight."

Bronx walked up to Elisa and nuzzled her until she patted his head.

"Well, I guess it's just good to feel like myself again. Where are the others? Or is that part of what you're not going to tell me?"

"They are working with Xanatos tonight. We have to be sure that this plague does not attack us again."

"You mean it could return?" Elisa said in surprise.

Goliath turned his gaze towards the city with a grim expression.

"That is what we must prevent."

* * *

At the top of one of the arches on Chrysler Building's crown, Grace stepped away from the gargoyles and gazed out over the city. At her request, Owen, who had met them at the Chrysler Building, transformed into Puck and cast clouds over the city so that no one could look up and see what Grace was doing at the top of this building.

"Care to explain your plan?" Xanatos asked her.

"I think it will be easier to show you," Grace said with a smile. "But don't interrupt me. And don't let me fall if I start to get tired."

Instead of holding out her hands with the palms facing up, Grace stretched out her arms and raised her hands in front of her. Her eyes blazed with light as energy shot forth from her hands. The energy was drawn into seven distinct pillars of light that floated out before Grace in the air. Drawing on all of her concentration, Grace caused the pillars to surge with massive amounts of power. They grew brighter and brighter, flashing with sudden charges and almost electrical pulses.

Each pillar began to grow taller until they were about twenty feet high and looming over them. Grace continued to feed them with her power, and for several moments, Duke felt mesmerized watching the pillars, but when he did look at Grace, he saw her start to sink to her knees, and he rushed forward and caught her.

She felt so warm in his arms; it almost felt uncomfortable to hold onto her, as if she might burn his hands and arms. But Duke wouldn't let go, fearing she might topple forward and fall. Yet, he had to close his eyes and look away as the pillars grew unbearably bright.

The gargoyles came closer and held onto Duke to keep him and Grace from losing their balance. The others hid their eyes, but not before they saw the pillars began to spin around the tower. And Grace thrust out her hands again, and the pillars were flung to the far corners of the city. Then she sank down, and Duke drew her away from the edge.

"Grace, are you all right?" he asked as he laid her down.

"I will be," she said wearily. "And I think New York will be safe now. Look out there one more time."

She raised one hand and pointed.

Duke and the others saw the gleam of the pillars as they appeared on the edges of the city.

"They're like watchtowers, guarding a border," Lexington said.

"Aye, like sentinels," Hudson said.

Grace looked up at Puck, and said, "I can't do more at the moment to make them invisible, but you can."

"That's easy enough," Puck said, and he exerted his own power to hide the pillars from view.

Duke picked Grace up in his arms and looked at Xanatos.

"She needs to rest."

* * *

Grace slept until the next night, and the gargoyles came to Xanatos to speak with her again. They continued to feel strong, and they had been able to sleep in their usual stone forms. But they noticed that other people in New York appeared to feel weak.

"I'm not quite strong enough to help them yet," Grace sighed. "After one more day, perhaps, and then I should return to Anaheim with Duke. I've kept him away long enough."

"These pillars you've created. Some explanation is still owed there," Xanatos said.

"I can't keep those at OtherEarth, Inc. from drawing power from New York completely," Grace admitted. "The city's far too big. But the reason why you were growing sick and weak before was because they were just taking as much as they wanted. There was no limitation on their theft of energy."

"And the pillars will enforce limits?" Duke asked.

"Yes. When outsiders begin to steal too much for too long, one of the pillars will become active, and it will act much as the dome does in Anaheim. The outsiders will get pain in return for abusing their power. They'll have to stop taking so much."

"What if we still grow weak over time because of what they are able to take?" Xanatos asked.

"I can return and replenish what is needed. I shouldn't think you would need my help more than a few times a year. They won't be able to take much, and it will never be like it was before."

"And if anything happens to you…" Xanatos began.

"The dome over Anaheim, the pillars here, it will all go away," Grace said. "I can't maintain anything if I'm dead."

Xanatos cast a look at Duke.

"Are you certain you and your team can protect her? I'll admit that I would still prefer to keep her here under our care."

"She's safe with us," Duke insisted.

* * *

After another day passed, Goliath glided with Grace over New York with a few of the other gargoyles, and she let her power fall down upon the city to revive its people. When they returned to the Eyrie Building, Grace didn't feel as tired as she had the night before, and she felt it was time to return to Anaheim.

"Are you sure I can't convince you to stay?" Xanatos asked.

"You won't need my help again for some time," Grace insisted as she moved to stand beside Duke. "I'm glad to have met you all and helped restore your city, but I want to go back with Duke to the other Mighty Ducks."

"We will never forget what you have done for us," Goliath said as he clasped her hand in his claws.

"Come back and visit us, okay?" Brooklyn said.

"Yeah, we didn't even have time to share a Manhattan pizza with you this time," Broadway protested. "Or there's this place that has the best waffle fries with bacon and cheese…"

"You eat everything we order before the rest of us get to enjoy it," Lexington scoffed. "She's probably better off eating with the ducks."

"I do not!" Broadway argued, and they grew distracted with their debate as Grace smiled and said goodbye to Angela and Hudson.

"Take care of yourself, lass," the older gargoyle said warmly. "So much depends on you."

When they had finished talking, Xanatos agreed to give Duke and Grace a ride in his helicopter back to his private jet.

"If you must go, I'll give you ride back to California."

* * *

"Don't try to draw from New York," Golott warned as he walked into Chase's office at OtherEarth, Inc.

"Why not?" Chase asked.

"You know what happened to Anaheim? Well, something like it is defending New York too. Me and the other defenders got zapped trying to glean energy."

Chase looked up at him.

"Is Anaheim still cut off from us?"

"Yeah, we tried that too."

Chase stood up from his desk with a cold light in his gaze.

"It's happening. This rival of ours is spreading defenses to our other locations. We don't even know what the extent of this power is!"

"We can't be cut off from everywhere," Golott said doubtfully.

"The more we are limited, the more at risk we are for exposure," Chase said darkly. "Anaheim and New York were ideal places to draw from. There is more energy to be gleaned in the places where these strange beings like gargoyles and ducks live. Unless they have been touched by magic, the humans of this world offer us a pitiful amount of power."

"Well, we can't get to those ducks or the gargoyles now," Golott said grimly.

* * *

Grace stood by Duke's side as she watched the Xanatos' jet disappear in the night sky. The moon shone full and bright above them, and Duke turned back to the city of Anaheim in the distance.

"The others should be here soon to pick us up," he said glancing at his com. "Guess Xanatos didn't feel generous enough to pay for a cab to take us back into town."

Grace smiled as she kept the hood of her jacket pulled up over her head.

"He's just eager to return home."

Duke smiled.

"Yeah, me too."

He started to walk towards the highway, but all at once, he fell to the ground as if someone had struck him. Grace rushed forward.

"Duke, Duke!"

She put her hands on his arm to move him, but the moment she did so, she could feel an awful power seize her in its pull. The desert vanished, and Grace saw Vivian Rykks sitting in her office in New Haven.

Grace felt she had been drawn into some kind of strange vision, but apparently Vivian could see Grace too, for her eyes suddenly locked on Grace.

"You're the one," she said angrily. "I knew there was someone with those ducks."

"What are you doing?" Grace asked, still holding onto Duke.

Vivian rose from her chair and walked towards them.

"It's his own fault for wandering outside your little safety net. I didn't expect to find anyone out in the desert, but now that I have, I'm going to drain him to his core."

Grace's eyes blazed, and she flung her hand up at her adversary. Vivian was knocked back against her desk as a ray of light struck her. Grace rose up and stepped around Duke as her hands tightened into fists.

"Do you want to know what it feels like to be powerless? To have someone strike…and strike at you again, and never be able to act?"

Trying to move away, Vivan put her hands up and tried to thrust Grace away. Grace could feel Vivian trying to break the connection between their minds, but Grace's own power was locked onto Vivian now.

Grace reached forward and seized Vivian's wrists.

"You should have left the area around Anaheim alone."

Vivian cried out in pain as Grace's grip burned her arms with the rage boiling up inside of her.

But suddenly, Grace heard another a voice calling her name, and she looked back at Vivian, who was begging to be released.

Grace let go as her eyes widened.

The office scene disappeared, and Grace awakened to the desert. The other ducks were gathered around her and Duke. Wildwing was shaking her shoulders, and Tanya was checking on Duke.

Grace gasped and stood up suddenly, backing away as the cool night air struck her face. Duke stirred on the ground, but he didn't wake up.

"Wildwing, I think we should get him back to the Pond," Tanya said.

Grin picked up Duke and carried him back to the Migrator as Wildwing rose and turned back to Grace.

"Grace, what is it? What happened?"

"Vivian found Duke," Grace said, looking back at him wide-eyed. "And I attacked her."

* * *

Chase entered Vivian's office after he heard her crying out in pain. Upon opening the door, he found her sprawled on the floor. Both of her arms were scalded with bright red marks and the skin was badly disfigured in some places on them. Her nose was bleeding, and her face looked very pale.

Kneeling down, Chase leaned over her and put one hand to her face.

"Vivian, what happened? Can you hear me?"

Her eyes opened a little, and she seemed to recognize him.

"I saw _her_."

"Her? You mean the one who's been blocking us?"

Vivian looked up at him with a pained expression.

"She's more powerful than we realized."

"Did you recognize her? Have you seen her before?"

Vivian's eyes closed a little.

"No, don't know her."

When she seemed to slip into unconsciousness, Chase dialed for an ambulance. He couldn't see that Vivian appeared to be hurt other than her arms, but the sight of them was alarming enough.

* * *

Back in the Pond, Tanya and Grin took Duke to the infirmary. Nosedive asked why Grace didn't just heal him, but Grace seemed to be in shock and wouldn't talk at first.

Wildwing and Mallory sat down with her when they returned to the Pond to try to learn what had unsettled her, but at first, she just sat with her head in her hands.

"I've never lost control of my powers," Grace finally said, fearfully. "I've never worried about anyone's safety around me."

Wildwing and Mallory shared a look, and then Mallory said,

"Can you just tell us what happened? We received the message that Xanatos had just dropped you off, and we came as quickly as we could to get you."

Grace nodded.

"I was waiting with Duke when he just collapsed. And I rushed over to him, but he didn't answer me when I called to him. So I put my hands on his arm to turn him over, and I was pulled towards Vivian by her own power. She was seeking a someone to steal energy from, and she found Duke, but she also found me."

"Then what happened?" Wildwing asked.

"I asked her what she was doing, and she was so smug about hurting Duke. Anger just burned inside of me when I saw her face."

"You said in the desert that you attacked her," Mallory said.

"Yes, I did," Grace admitted. "I wanted to hurt her, and I didn't stop to think about what I was doing. All I could see was my rage."

Wildwing waited until she stopped speaking to ask,

"Did you kill her?"

Grace looked into their faces.

"No, but I could have. And I might not have stopped if I hadn't heard you calling me back. It's the first time I've ever felt like I lost control."

She lowered her head and covered her face with her hands again.

"You were angry because she was hurting Duke," Mallory said. "You just wanted to protect him."

Grace shook her head.

"This isn't the like the time I struck that defender with the bolt from the dome. I had restraint there. I was protecting you in that moment. But just now, I did more than protect Duke. I've never attacked anyone out of anger like that before."

Wildwing and Mallory sat with her in silence, and Grace finally said,

"I've asked you to keep my secret, but if I really am dangerous …if I can't control this, then I can't ask you to help me anymore."

Mallory moved closer to her and put her hand on Grace's.

"Everyone has moments where they get angry and do things they regret. It's true that having powers like yours means there's more at stake when it comes to controlling your anger, but you can put yourself back in control."

Wildwing nodded.

"This was the first time you've been confronted with one of them when they were hurting a friend of yours. Any of us would have been outraged. It was right for you to stop her from doing more to Duke, but this can't be about revenge."

Grace nodded.

"We all have to remind ourselves of that. I have to admit that part of me is kind of glad you gave that snake a taste of her own venom," Mallory said and then sighed. " _But_ it's also good that you realize you went farther than you should have."

"I'm afraid that if I use my powers like that again. They'll turn …or I'll turn into, something poisonous and destructive. Then I'll be the monster everyone thinks I am."

Wildwing stood up and pulled her up to her feet as well.

"Come on, I know how to remind you who you are."

He led her to the infirmary with Mallory following behind. When they entered, they saw Nosedive and Grin sitting off to one side as Tanya stood over Duke, who was lying on a bed.

"How's he doing?" Wildwing asked.

"He's stable, but he won't wake," Tanya said sadly.

Wildwing turned to Grace.

"What if I end up hurting him?" she asked.

"You don't have to be afraid of your powers. I trust you," he assured her. "Just remember what you want to use them for."

Grace took a deep breath and walked up to the bed. She raised her hands over Duke and closed her eyes. Light slowly fell down onto him, and after a moment, Duke opened his good eye and saw her.

"Hey, kid," he said, smiling. "Where'd you go?"

"What do you mean?" Grace asked.

"You were with me when I got attacked. I could see and feel you beside me."

Grace listened quietly, still reflecting upon her actions.

"You saved me," Duke continued with a grateful tone. "I thought she was going to kill me, but you stopped her. And then you were gone, and I was just lost. It was like I couldn't find my way back."

"I'm sorry. I think I got a little lost too."

"Only for a few minutes," Wildwing said. "Grace's anger got the better of her for a moment."

"Really? I'm sorry I missed that part," Duke said.

"It's nothing to be proud of," Grace protested. "I can't lose control like that."

"It won't happen again," Mallory said confidently. "We can help you with that."

Grace looked at her in surprise.

"Mallory's right," Wildwing said with a nod. "You haven't been trained how to deal with these types of situations. It's easy for someone who's inexperienced to lose control. But we'll train you, and next time you'll be able to keep yourself in check."

"Discipline and focus bring enlightenment," Grin said with a nod.

"But training with my powers could put you all in danger here," Grace said hesitantly. "I've always told myself that I must only use them when they were needed."

"Sweetheart, my saber is dangerous, but if I never trained with it, I'd never be able to use it well when it was needed," Duke said.

Grace looked around at the other ducks.

"Well, if you all approve, I'll give it a try."

* * *

Chase sat in the hospital waiting room, drinking bland coffee as he waited for news from the doctors. It had been a few hours, but at last someone came out to him.

"How is she?" he asked.

"Your friend is going to be fine, though there may be some scarring on her arms. Those burns were quite severe."

"Is she awake?"

"No, she's very weak for some reason. We're letting her rest while we monitor her vitals, but there doesn't appear to be anything to worry about."

"In that case, I'll wait until tomorrow to try to speak with her," Chase said, grabbing his coat.

"I have to admit that I was surprised you brought her here instead of letting one of your healers help her."

"We're limited with what we can do for each other," Chase said.

"Before you go, can you tell me what caused the burns?"

"As I said, I just found her like that. I'm not sure what happened before I arrived."

"Well, they're rather odd. Around her wrists, there's almost a burn pattern in the shape of handprints, and then it just spreads from there."

Chase listened quietly for a moment before saying,

"If she wakes or you learn anything more, let me know."

* * *

 **Don't forget to leave a review!**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"Okay, are you ready, Grace?"

Wildwing stood several feet from her in a training room at the Pond, watching Grace expectantly.

"I don't like that you're staying in the room while I strike those mannequins," Grace said as she gestured towards a couple of mannequins Tanya had set up for target practice.

"You need our help to recreate a tense scenario," Duke said, standing a little way to the left of Wildwing. "Otherwise, I wouldn't let Tanya strap things like this to my arm."

He held up a shock device that was bound around his left arm. Wildwing had one just like it. Tanya had said that the devices would generate enough of a charge to lightly shock her teammates and cause just a little pain to simulate an attack. The devices would be activated when the mannequins began to pulled toward the ducks by small robots.

"We'll be fine as long as you aim for the mannequins," Wildwing said. "Okay, you ready, Tanya?"

"Just say when," she said, standing on the opposite side of the room with a remote.

"Remember, Grace, this training is about controlling your powers. See if you can solve this problem by causing the least amount of damage."

"But quickly," Duke said holding up his arm with the device on it. "I'd rather not have to wear this for too long."

"No messing with the actual devices though!" Tanya called out. "In a real conflict with other outsiders, you have to deal with them before you heal us."

"Target the mannequins, got it," Grace assured her.

"Start the simulation, Tanya!" Wildwing commanded, and Tanya pressed a couple of buttons on her remote.

The mannequins were steadily drawn towards the ducks from the back of the room, and in a moment, Duke and Wildwing both cringed and clasped their arms. Duke dropped to his knees, and Wildwing bowed his head and shoulders.

And Grace did not try to halt the distress she felt as seeing them in pain. She raised her hands towards the mannequins, but suddenly, the little robots at their feet steered them directly behind the ducks, blocking her shot.

Grace tried to run forward, weaving from side to side a bit to try to get a clear view of the mannequins to avoid hitting the ducks when she struck, but the mannequins kept moving around the ducks thwarting her attempts.

"You need to act faster," Wildwing said with a groan as he also dropped to his knees. But even with both ducks down, Grace saw that the robots were tilting the mannequins to the side to make them less tall and harder to hit.

Finally, Grace stopped with furrowed brow, and she dropped to the floor which she struck hard with her fists. The blow sent tremors rippling out before her. Duke, Wildwing, and the mannequins with their robots were thrown up into the air by the force.

Grace flung out an energy blast towards each robot that crippled them in the air. Then she raised her hands and caught Duke and Wildwing before they hit the ground and carefully swept them off to one side, letting them land gently on the floor.

Tanya walked forward as the training exercise ended and looked at the cracked floor tiles. The mannequins had both lost at least one arm or a leg due the impact of landing on the floor. Duke and Wildwing stood up and walked over to survey the scene.

"We might have to keep working on your technique," Wildwing sighed. "This still looks like collateral damage to me."

Grace crossed her arms.

"At least I only struck the robots."

"And the floor," Tanya scoffed, pointing to the cracks. "But that was good acting on your part, guys. That pain looked believable."

Duke rubbed his left arm with a frown.

"Oh really, sweetheart? That's cause this thing actually hurts!"

"You big baby," Tanya laughed.

Duke turned his gaze to Wildwing for support, but the team leader looked away.

"Uh, that's probably enough training for one day. We can try again tomorrow."

"Yeah, and Nosedive can wear this thing for a change," Duke said with a smirk.

* * *

The training continued for another week or so as the city of Anaheim continued to be safely nestled beneath the dome, and its citizens remained happy and healthy. Wildwing contacted Xanatos to learn that New York was also doing well behind the pillars.

But just about the time they were all starting to feel more confident, they caught part of a news interview with Chase. The focus of their conversation appeared to be about some recent support OtherEarth, Inc. had given to other hockey teams in the country. Chase was expressing his interest in the sport and how OtherEarth, Inc. was wanting to become more involved with the league.

"Our information indicates that OtherEarth, Inc. has granted donations to nearly every hockey teams except the Mighty Ducks. Care to explain?"

"We've reached out to their manager," and Chase faced the camera as he said, "We are hopeful they will respond to us soon."

The interview ended, and Nosedive said,

"No way that guy's a hockey fan!"

But Wildwing had already risen from the couch and was calling Phil.

"But why would OtherEarth, Inc. start giving money to these other teams?" Mallory asked.

"I dunno, but it seems like more than just spite," Duke said warily.

Wildwing heard Phil pick up and began demanding to know what he had been sent from OtherEarth, Inc.

"Hey, relax babe! All I got was a phone number. But when I called the number, nothing happened. I thought it was another scam after what you said about them."

"Tell me the number, Phil."

Wildwing wrote it down and then ended the communication. Grace rose from her seat and walked over to him.

"Any ideas about what this really is?" he asked her.

Grace took the number from him and considered it.

"That news story was a reminder that you will have to travel outside of Anaheim for some hockey games. Those at OtherEarth, Inc. will know the game schedules, and you'll be vulnerable. Without my protection, you could easily be attacked as Duke was."

"It won't be safe for you to travel with us," Wildwing said. "They'll anticipate your presence, and there could be people from the Agency searching for you."

Grace looked down at the number. It was a phone number, but it wasn't intended for Phil's use.

"I think Chase wants to talk to me."

"You think he wants to strike some kind of bargain?"

"It's possible. He would have seen what I did to Vivian. But with this, he wants me to know that he still has a few cards to play."

"What if it's a trap?" Wildwing asked.

"I don't think it could be one that I have to fear. But just in case, perhaps I shouldn't call this number from the Pond. We don't want to give the Agency proof of my location."

Wildwing nodded.

* * *

In the abandoned resort, Seaside Park, Tanya set up some computers to make the call location untraceable. The ducks would remain close by to listen to the call, but Grace sat down in front of the receiver. She hesitated for a moment, and Grin walked up behind her.

"Anger does not have to define you," he said. "You can face them and defeat them with other forces."

Grace nodded and took in a deep breath as she dialed the number on the keypad. Grin walked back to the other ducks and waited.

Once the number was entered, Grace didn't hear a phone ringing, but there was a click and then a subtle sound almost like faint static.

"I assumed you wanted to speak to me," Grace said as her hands gripped the receiver, and she felt a presence on the other end of the call.

"Identify yourself," Chase's voice answered after a moment.

"Why? Would my name mean anything to you?"

"Perhaps not, but I like to know whom I'm dealing with."

"There's been no agreement upon any deals yet. Is that why you wanted to talk?"

"I thought it was time we got to know one another," Chase said in a smooth, business-like tone. "I wish we could have met the last time I visited Anaheim."

"So do I," Grace answered. "But it was better for you that we did not."

Chase laughed.

"Are you going to attack me as you did with Vivian?"

"That is not my intention, but it's best not to provoke me," Grace warned.

"Ah yes, you seem to care deeply for those ducks you follow so closely. Are they there with you now?"

"Stop playing games. Why did you want to talk?" Grace persisted as her tone grew colder.

"You know that you won't always be able to protect them," Chase continued. "But I don't want us to be enemies. Just think, if we were allies, we could come to an understanding about the ducks. They'd never again have anything to fear from us."

"But if I don't agree to your terms, you and your colleagues will continue to strike at them whenever you can," Grace clarified.

"We must draw our power from somewhere. And these limitations you have imposed upon us are excessive. Opportunities must be taken when they arise."

His words generated hot wrath within her like searing coals, but she breathed deeply and did not let her anger blind her.

"So what is it that you want?"

"It's clear you possess an extraordinary amount of power. If only the rest of us had your abilities, but since we do not, if you would only work with us, instead of against us, we wouldn't need to bother with your beaked friends."

"How would I work with you?" Grace asked.

"You could be a healer at OtherEarth, Inc. We'd give you your own office and protect you from the Agency. You wouldn't have to hide anymore."

"And what I am supposed to do with this office and my abilities, charge others exorbitant fees for my services?"

"We do have to make a living. You would have to work under contract to us, of course. We would decide the fees for your services and whom you would help, but the ducks would be left alone in return for all of this …and as I said, you could be free to live openly amongst your own race in this world without fear of the Agency."

"Free," Grace repeated softly. "Free to be your slave …while you go on stealing and weakening others for your own gain."

"It's the way the system works," Chase insisted. "And if you continue to interfere from the outside, you will come to regret it just as others before you have. Surely you're aware of what happened to them."

Grace's fury rose, but she wasn't willing to lose control again. Yet, at the same time, she wanted to respond in strength to Chase's threats.

Seizing the receiver, she gripped it tightly and closed her eyes. After a brief moment of darkness, she could see Chase standing over a speaker phone in his office, and once she concentrated harder, she made certain that he could see her, seemingly standing before him.

He appeared surprised and displeased to see her, but he didn't back down.

"I'm not here to fight," Grace said. "But if you or any of your associates come after the ducks, you will get a fight."

"So I take it you will _not_ be joining us?" Chase said darkly.

"Join you? OtherEarth, Inc. will burn first. I want nothing more than to see your wretched business sink back into the mire from which it came. Consider this your warning. Leave the rest of this world alone, and I'll let you step away quietly. Persist, and you will be exposed for the hypocrites you are."

Chase's expression reflected his anger, but he quickly resumed his smug, professional demeanor.

"This refusal to cooperate means that upon the first time you and those ducks set foot out of Anaheim, you will be arrested and executed by the Agency …and the ducks will pay for your insolence. Whatever powers you have, you cannot stand against the forces at work against you."

Grace turned her gaze to the phone upon his desk. A red light was shining brightly under the word 'Record'. She looked back at him and smiled.

"I have no doubt there will be risks in the coming months, but if you hoped to use this conversation against me, you don't know whom you're dealing with."

She raised her hand slightly and said, "Have a good day, Chase."

Alert messages began beeping on his computer.

"Deleting all files … deleting all files…" an electronic voice said from his monitor. Chase rushed over to his computer and tried to stop the process, but suddenly his computer and phone began to spark and smoke. He was forced to step back, and when he looked up, his adversary was gone.

Grace released the receiver and sat back in her chair.

"Did you see what happened?" she asked, turning around to the ducks.

"Yes, it was like we could see what you were seeing on that screen there," Tanya said, pointing to the monitor.

"It was awesome!" Nosedive said. "You squashed that creep!"

"Just his network files and his computer, this time though," Grace said with a slight smile. "I'll admit that it felt more satisfying that my last encounter with someone from that office."

"You think he was planning to take that recording to the Agency?" Wildwing said.

"Yes, or use it as leverage against me, if I agreed to his terms," Grace's expression grew more serious. "But I have made things dangerous for all of us. Once hockey season begins, he is going to take every opportunity to seek revenge."

"He was going to do that anyway," Duke sighed. "None of us wanted you to take that deal to protect us while the rest of the world suffers and you have to work for them."

Wildwing nodded.

"We'll just have to do we can to prepare for the attacks. I'm mostly concerned with keeping you hidden, Grace. If the Agency seizes you, that's when we're all in danger."

"I think we need to know more about what the Agency uses to restrain and weaken humans like Grace," Tanya said. "I don't understand how they are able to do it."

"It might be time to call in a favor with Xanatos and the gargoyles," Mallory said. "We'll never be able to get near the Agency without drawing attention after all of this, but maybe they could."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Xanatos organized a visit to the Off-World Agency on the premise of becoming a sponsor. Once it ended, he delivered information to the gargoyles. Goliath, Brooklyn, and Lexington penetrated the Agency at night and entered the basement level where Xanatos had determined the weapons were kept.

"There is the device," Goliath said, pointing a claw to a long piece of equipment shaped like a ray gun or a small cannon on a stand.

"Is there only one?" Brooklyn asked, looking around. "I thought there would be more."

The gargoyles combed the scene, but all that they found was the one. Lexington crept over and began to inspect it.

"Can you disable it?" Goliath asked.

Lexington explored the cords and the metal parts with his claws.

"Yeah, I think I see how it works. And if I do this…"

He reached up inside it with his claws and crushed part of it. Then he pulled out a gem from the inside.

"Now they can't just easily repair it," he said with a smile. "Even if they do notice the broken part down here, which they may not."

"What's the gem for?" Brooklyn asked as he took it and held it up.

"They needed something strong for the immobilization ray. It looks like these gems were carefully shaped to focus the ray when it was fired."

"What if they have more of these stones?" Goliath asked.

"Then we still know how to stop the machines," Lexington said. "They're useless once you take the gem away."

Goliath took the stone from Brooklyn and tucked it away in a pouch at his side.

"Let us leave then. We will let the ducks know of our success."

* * *

The night of the ducks' first away game arrived. The ducks warily traveled to Pittsburgh in the Aerowing. Xanatos gave Grace a ride in his jet, so that she would not be seen arriving with the ducks. The gargoyles rode with them as did Elisa Maza, who had now been told the full truth about the situation in New York. Xanatos had decided that the presence of a detective might prove useful if someone tried to seize Grace.

Once they reached the hockey stadium, Xanatos said he had other matters to see to and did not stay at the stadium. The gargoyles slipped into the darkness of the alleys.

"You sure you don't want me to stick with you?" Elisa asked Grace.

"No, just walk around and keep watch," Grace said. "I've got to move around freely if I'm going to help the ducks."

The game began, and at first, there was no sign of any attack. The Mighty Ducks were faring well against their opponents. Grace made herself invisible and walked around the edge of the stadium, watching the game from a distance. She didn't see anyone from OtherEarth, Inc. here.

It wasn't until the second period that suddenly the ducks began to stumble on the ice. Grace saw Tanya and Grin fall to their knees, and she sent out her power to revive them. Once they were up again, she started to move to a different part of the stadium, but in one of the halls, Roy McNabb and several others from the Agency found her and pushed their immobilization ray towards her.

"There's the outsider. Fire!"

Grace stepped back, but they had already activated the device. Yet, even as it started to power up, it quickly began to whine and shut down.

"What's going on?" Mulligan, the one who had inspected the Pond, asked as he looked nervously from the machine to their target.

"I have work to do," Grace said as she turned dismissively from them. "As your machine is not working, I'd suggest you leave me alone."

One of them tried to fire a gun at her, but Grace just raised a shield that blocked the bullets. She walked towards the doors and left the building.

Focusing her attention on the ducks again, Grace walked out into the dark street outside the hockey stadium. She needed to find another way back into the stadium where those men from the Agency wouldn't see her.

All at once, she felt something hit her with the force of a battering ram, and Grace collapsed on the pavement. Managing to lift her head a little, she saw Chase Farrow standing at the top of the steps leading into a factory across from the hockey stadium. He and Golott, the defender, were standing beside another immobilization device. It was active.

Chase descended the stairs towards her with a smug expression and Golott not far from his side.

"I knew we could not trust the Off-World Agency to take you down on their own. Their security measures are starting to lag, don't you think?"

Grace groaned as she felt the force of her own power thrust back upon her. The sensation was like that being crushed under the weight of a semi-truck.

"Oh, and by the way, your beaked friends getting the message that you can't help them. Our colleagues are draining them now."

"NYPD, back off!" a voice shouted as the hockey stadium doors were flung open.

Chase and Golott turned to see Detective Maza walking towards them, flashing her badge and raising her gun.

"This isn't New York, detective," Chase said coldly. "You are far from your jurisdiction here, don't you think?"

"Maybe, but you're not authorized to run that device. Turn it off!" Elisa commanded as she continued to advance.

Chase glanced at Golott before turning back to her.

"No."

Golott raised a hand slightly and sucked energy from Elisa with rapid force. She dropped to the ground beside Grace in a weakened state and unable to speak. Through her own struggles, Grace could see the detective's eyes start to close.

A moment later, the doors to the stadium opened again, and McNabb, Mulligan, and the other agents hurried out to the street.

"What are you doing?" Mulligan asked, looking in confusion at the device.

"What you should have been able to do," Chase insisted. "We caught this unregistered threat trying to escape …but not before she attacked this woman."

He gestured to Elisa.

"It's a good thing we had a working device since yours was faulty," Golott added.

Mulligan walked over to Elisa and checked her pulse.

"Well, she's still alive at least. Did you see what was done to her?"

Chase appeared bewildered.

"I'm not sure, but my healing power doesn't appear to be helping."

"I should take her to a hospital then," Mulligan said to the others as he picked up Elisa and carried her to his car.

McNabb dismissed him and stood over Grace.

"Well, we'll have to take her back to our building," he said grimly.

Chase frowned.

"Why take the risk? Just finish it here."

"Because we don't hold public executions," McNabb protested.

"This one's too powerful. It has to be here and now," Golott insisted. "And we'd be happy to help."

McNabb studied them. On the ground, Grace still felt pinned and unable to speak, but she managed to roll over on her back and face the sky.

"He means we don't want to see anyone else get hurt," Chase added with more tact. "Now did you bring the sword or not?"

McNabb held his hand out and one of his men brought something in a rolled cloth to him. As he removed the cloth, a long blade like a samurai sword was revealed. It was made from the strongest steel on the planet.

McNabb took the hilt with both hands. He raised the blade high over Grace's chest, and then he began to thrust straight down towards her heart.

But just as the blade came within an inch of her, Grace's hands clapped around the blade, and in a desperate attempt, she held onto it with all that she could manage. Chase and Golott stepped back in surprise.

McNabb was left standing over Grace, trying to finish what he had begun. One of his men came up alongside him and tried to help him force the blade down. But Grace cried out as her power began to rage like a fire within her, and suddenly the steel began to melt in her hands.

McNabb pulled the sword back after a moment, and he was left with half the blade he started with, and all of it had become like molten steel, no longer solid and sharp.

"Don't just stand there. Do something! Finish her!" Chase shouted.

Grace forced herself to roll to her stomach again, and straining, she reached out one hand to the pavement ahead of her. Then she moved other hand and her legs until she was crawling towards the steps where the device whirled and hummed.

Chase nudged Golott, and the defender released a blast of energy towards Grace. But when the light cleared, she was still moving, if only a few inches at a time. Chase ran over and grabbed Detective Maza's gun where it had fallen. He raised it and fired at Grace, but the bullets appeared to disintegrate as they reached her.

Golott tried to grab for Grace, but he howled in pain as he drew his hands away. There was steam rising from them as he stumbled back.

"You fools, what level did you set the device to?!" McNabb shouted as he ran over to Chase.

"We chose the highest level to counter her power. Why isn't it working?!"

"You've turned it up too high!" McNabb insisted. "There's so much power and energy being thrust back upon her that we can't get near the blazing heat that's erupting around her. She's too strong!"

Grace had reached the stairs leading up to the device now. Her body had transformed from its normal appearance to increasing in its luminosity. Now it was radiating with the light like that of star, so that they could hardly look at her. The concrete beneath her seemed to be cracking and melting.

As she pulled herself up the steps, Grace's hand reached for the device, and Chase ran around the side and darted up to it.

"This is my victory tonight," he said coldly as he tried to adjust the controls.

"No! You don't know what you're doing!" McNabb shouted, but he didn't wait around to say more. He and his men started to run away from the device in alarm.

Grace's burning white hand reached up and touched a lever on the device. Steam soared from it as Chase stood over it. Golott watched only for a moment before he began to run after those from the Agency.

With her face lifted up to the device, Grace turned her white-hot gaze to Chase, and then her fingers closed securely around the lever.

* * *

David Xanatos and Owen arrived at the rear of the hockey stadium in a limo. A few other men in suits stepped out with them when suddenly a deafening explosion shook the street on the other side of the stadium. All of them dropped back beside the limo warily, but Xanatos saw that whatever had happened, only the one street had been affected. He grabbed Owen's arm, and they ran around the hockey stadium until they reached the street on the other side.

A blackened ring about twenty-four feet in length covered most of the street. The front of the factory across from the stadium was in ruin and parts of it were still crumbling. Xanatos saw a large outsider on the pavement at the edge of the ring. He grabbed his shirt and lifted his head up.

"What happened here?"

But the burly young man was bleeding from the nose, and he seemed too dazed to speak.

"Sir, over here!" Owen called.

Xanatos dropped the outsider and strode over to where Owen was standing near some rubble on the other side of the devastation. As Xanatos drew closer, he saw Grace partially buried under the rumble and looking very pale. Owen took over his overcoat and laid it over her as he removed some of the rubble. Her clothes, possibly destroyed, were gone.

McNabb and the others from the Agency hurried back to the scene and started to approach.

"Stand back. We'll be taking that monstrosity!" he insisted.

But Xanatos moved into his path.

"No, you won't. Now stay out of our way," and then he turned to Owen. "Is she alive?"

Owen was crouching beside the girl and checking for a pulse.

"I've got something. Yes, she's taking shallow breaths. But we must get her medical attention."

Xanatos called over to the men that he had brought with them.

"Mr. McNabb, these are my lawyers. In reviewing the permissions granted to Off-World Agency, they've found some discrepancies regarding what legal rights your agency has when it comes to outsiders. So instead of wasting my time, you're going to talk with them. As you can see, I have other matters to attend to."

McNabb caught Xanatos' arm.

"That outsider must be dealt with at once. There is no time for matters of legality. The safety of our world is at stake!"

Xanatos threw him off.

"I couldn't agree more."

The lawyers intercepted the men from the Agency as Xanatos and Owen took Grace back to the limo. Police and other emergency vehicles were beginning to arrive on the scene.

* * *

Wildwing awoke in the hospital later that evening. His manager, Phil Palmfeather, stood at his side.

"Phil? Where are the others?"

"They're here too, babe. You all took some sort of beating at the game, but no one is sure what happened."

Wildwing started to sit up.

"Are they okay?"

"It's hard to tell, but they're hanging in there," Phil said. "You wanna tell me what happened?"

"I don't remember much except being out on the ice," Wildwing said. "Did anyone else end up in the hospital?"

"Funny you should mention that. Elisa was brought here just minutes before you all. She's not doing so well."

There was a rap on the window of the hospital room, and Phil drew back the curtains to reveal the huge shape of Goliath clinging to the outside of the building.

"Whoa!" Phil said, jumping back.

"Phil, go and check on the others," Wildwing said quickly.

"But…"

"Go on, Phil."

Phil sighed as he opened the window for Goliath and walked out.

"Sheesh, what a way to get visitors."

Once he was gone, Goliath shut the door to the room, and Wildwing quickly asked,

"What happened to Grace?"

"Xanatos has her. She was injured in the encounter with the Agency and other outsiders, but he has assured me she is alive."

Wildwing sat back in the hospital bed.

"My clan and I were attacked when we tried to approach the stadium. I am doing well enough, but some of my friends are very weak."

"Phil said Elisa is here," Wildwing said.

"Yes, I already saw her, but she would not wake. I fear she was hit the hardest."

"Probably trying to protect Grace. I'm sorry, Goliath," Wildwing sighed. "Do you know where Xanatos has taken Grace?"

The towering gargoyle shook his head.

"He would not tell me in case someone was listening to our conversation. But no doubt he will do all he can for her."

Wildwing put his hand to his head wearily.

"Our plans went horribly wrong. I'm not sure my team and I can risk leaving Anaheim again if this is going to be the result."

"Perhaps not everything was a failure," Goliath said. "I have been trying to put the pieces together of what happened. My clan disabled one of the Agency's machines, but another one was destroyed tonight. Perhaps when Elisa wakes up, she will be able to testify as to who attacked her. And Chase Farrow is dead."

"How?" Wildwing asked.

"There was an explosion with the second Agency device. He was killed in the blast. The outsiders who were attacking us ...and you and your team, they seemed to have gotten scared and stopped the attack after the explosion. I think they know Chase was killed."

Wildwing considered that in silence. Chase had been the one leading the attacks against them. Perhaps the other outsiders would back down with his death.

Goliath started to walk back to the window when Wildwing said,

"I hope Elisa recovers soon. And thanks, Goliath."

The massive gargoyle nodded and crawled out into the night.

 **This story will be finished soon. Thanks to those readers who have stuck with me!**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Two stories were released to the news stations. One, from Xanatos' lawyers, denounced OtherEarth, Inc. for deliberately causing harm and then profiting off of the troubles of others. They also demanded an investigation of Off-World Agency, whose rights, they said, did not include those of executing aliens.

The second story originated from supporters of Off-World Agency and OtherEarth, Inc., insisting that Xanatos was harboring a dangerous outsider, who had attacked others near the hockey stadium in Pittsburgh. Referring to Elisa and Chase, they said one victim was in critical condition in the hospital and another had been brutally murdered.

Xanatos appeared a few times to let reporters know how strongly he opposed both the Agency and OtherEarth, Inc. He would not confirm or deny that he was hiding an unregistered outsider. Aside from that, he remained withdrawn. He would not return any calls from the ducks, and Goliath had no more news as he kept a watchful eye on Elisa at night.

Wildwing and the ducks were still weak, but they made arrangements with Phil to return to Anaheim. Wildwing felt they needed to return to the safety of the dome as soon as possible. He also had Phil help with arrangements to have Elisa transferred back to New York. Goliath was grateful to be able to be taking his clan back to their home, and he felt Elisa would be safer there.

When they returned to the Pond, many of the ducks went to their bunks to rest, but Nosedive followed Wildwing outside the Pond. The two brothers stood in the parking lot, looking up at the sky.

"Bro, can you see it?" Nosedive asked.

Wildwing used the Mask to search the sky above Anaheim.

"Yeah, the dome's there, Dive. That means Grace's still alive."

Nosedive looked up though he couldn't see anything but blue sky.

"We need to find her. And I'm not talking about her making us feel better. I'm just worried about her."

"I know," Wildwing said, turning to him. "And we will find her. But with all of this doubt about who's to blame, maybe it's best for Xanatos to keep her hidden for now."

"It's bogus that anyone is even saying she hurt Elisa. Why don't they get who the bad guys are?"

"Too much power scares people. They just have to see that she's not a monster."

* * *

In an underground lab on the edge of New York, Grace lay in a hospital-like bed with restraints on her arms and legs. She had woken up only a few days ago, and every part of her ached or felt sick. Upon first waking up, she had thrown up a few times, but that had stopped after the first day. Of course, she hadn't eaten anything since then. IV fluids were all that sustained her.

Owen had been a constant companion, monitoring her progress and her vitals. But he wasn't much for company, and although she felt too weak to go far, Grace hated that she was bound to this bed. Her powers weren't any help. Even thinking about them, made her feel even more exhausted and weak.

One afternoon, Xanatos finally arrived to speak with her. He told her about the return of the ducks to Anaheim and the gargoyles to New York. He also explained that things were still very heated where she was concerned.

"We haven't convinced the public yet, so you'll have to remain in hiding for now. But that's not why I came to see you today."

Grace looked up at him from the bed with a weary gaze.

"I'm not able heal anyone."

"It's not that. Although Detective Maza could probably use your help, she's stable and that will have to wait. What concerns me is that you are still very weak. I thought your powers would be returning by now. Owen has been monitoring the data here, and he believes you should try drawing power from our world to restore your own."

"You want me to resort to stealing energy, just like those creeps at OtherEarth, Inc.?" Grace asked angrily.

"Only this once," Xanatos said. "We just think you need some help getting back on your feet."

Grace's brow furrowed.

"No."

"You'll have a willing participant," Owen said as he held out his hand and arm.

"I'm not doing it," Grace said firmly. "If you really want to help me, then take these restraints off. I feel like a lab experiment down here."

"Remove them yourself," Xanatos said. "When you can do that, we'll know you've recovered."

Though she glared at him, Grace chose not to answer. She knew she was too weak to free herself.

Sleep brought on a peace and renewal that Grace sought as she lay imprisoned in the basement lab. As she let herself slip into a dream, Grace began to feel as though she was falling into a deeper level of sleep than she had ever known. It weighed her down like a heavy mist.

Shadows began to cut through the mist, and Grace heard voices calling her faintly.

" _Where are you?" "Are you there?" "Find us."_

"Who are you?" Grace heard her own dream-like voice ask.

" _We don't want to die." "Can you help us?"_

"I don't understand. Who are you?"

The shadows became more distinct, and though she still couldn't see faces clearly, Grace realized she was looking at outsiders. But not ones she had seen at OtherEarth, Inc.

" _You're not alone….Find us. Find us."_

The voices began to trail off as the shadows faded.

"Wait!"

Grace heard herself calling for them, but they vanished. Then her eyes snapped open, and she felt like she was breaking into wakefulness suddenly as one breaks the surface of water after a swimming far below it.

Owen was at her side with a questioning gaze.

"You were calling out in your sleep."

"I … I was dreaming," Grace said, feeling weary again. "But I'm still very tired."

Owen studied her face with a frown.

"You should accept my offer and draw some energy from me."

Grace shook her head.

"It's not something I can prove, but I think I understand the reason why some of us have different means of gaining power. Your world did something to all of us, even the humans who didn't seem to get powers, at least gained better health than what they had in our world. But the rest of us felt a deeper connection to your world. And we were faced with a choice, though perhaps an unconscious one as we didn't realize what we were deciding. If we chose to pull power from your world seeking to benefit ourselves, regardless of how it hurt others, then we became like Chase and Vivian. They gave up a chance at something greater."

"And what about you?"

"I sensed the power of your world, but I cared too much about the beauty and life of this world to want to see it harmed or diminished. And I think that somehow, refusing to steal energy from your world, yet still having this connection to it, is what allowed me to start generating power on my own. It was like a gift for not taking the cheap way out. That's why I won't start stealing power now. I'd rather face not having any power than face the alternative."

Days continued to pass slowly. Owen had left her to help Xanatos for some business. But Grace was glad to have some time away from him and his attempts to pressure her to steal energy. Grace looked down at the straps binding her wrists to the bed. Closing her eyes and straining against them, she tried to pull herself free. But after a moment, she opened her eyes again. _Still nothing. My power hasn't come back_.

Reaching to the table just beside the bed, she could just touch a remote and clicked the button for the tv. It flickered on, and a news reporter stood in from of court house talking about a case against OtherEarth, Inc.

"Although serious allegations have been raised against the Off-World Agency and OtherEarth, Inc., many here today doubt that the charges will stand in light of there being no evidence to support the claims of the protesters."

Thinking back to her dream, Grace closed her eyes again and concentrated. _If I'm not alone, I need your help_. _Please, can you hear me?_

Such thoughts passed through her head repeatedly as she lay on the bed alone in the at basement with the sound and light from the tv running in the background.

Suddenly, Grace felt movement, and she opened her eyes to see a strap being unfastened around her right hand. After a moment, that hand was free, and she could undo the other restraints on her own.

She looked back at the tv, and thought, _I have to face this if this is ever going to end_.

* * *

Back in Anaheim, the ducks were also watching another new update about the trial that was released a few days later. Wildwing activated his com when he noticed an incoming call from Xanatos.

"Is anyone buying the charges against OtherEarth, Inc.?" he asked, hoping for good news.

"It's going to be difficult to convince them, but that's not why I called. I had Owen keeping an eye on Grace until I had to call him away briefly to help me with this legal business, but while he was gone, she escaped."

"Escaped? Were you keeping her locked up?" Wildwing asked as his tone grew more critical.

"She was very weak at first. We were just trying to help her recover, and then it didn't seem safe to let her leave with all of this going on."

"How long has she been gone?"

"Our security footage caught her leaving just a few hours before Owen returned to the location. But that's been more than a day now, and we haven't been able to find her."

"She isn't here, if that's what you're asking. Although if she comes here, you're mistaken if you think we're just going to hand her over to you."

"That's not my concern. We're not sure how she got out of her restraints, but she hadn't regained her power yet when Owen last checked. I am concerned she may be planning something rather foolish."

Wildwing glanced back at his teammates watching the report on the court case on the other side of the room.

"You think…?"

Xanatos nodded.

"That she is going to the trial, yes."

Wildwing closed his com a few minutes later once their conversation was finished, and he walked back to his teammates. Tanya, Mallory, and Grin were all still feeling rather weak from the attack during the hockey game. They leaned back against the couches as if they didn't have the energy to do much else. He, Nosedive, and Duke were dealing with some headaches and weariness, but they hadn't been hit quite as hard.

"That was Xanatos," Wildwing told them as he sat down beside his brother.

Duke lowered the volume on the tv.

"Grace left the secure hiding place where Xanatos had taken her. And he afraid she's planning to show up at the trial."

"Why would she do that?" Nosedive asked skeptically. "They'll just try to arrest her."

"Well, Xanatos doesn't think the case against OtherEarth, Inc. is going well. And while it's true that people might ignore Grace's testimony, she's the only one who can really testify against them."

* * *

Inside a courtroom in New Haven, the gallery was filled with an audience as on the prosecution side, Xanatos sat with his lawyers at one table while Roy McNabb from the Off-World Agency say with his defense lawyer at the other table. A bailiff called the court to order for the fourth day in a long trial and Judge Larrick entered the courtroom.

"I understand that the defense wishes to call a witness," the judge said.

Mr. Tompson, the main defense lawyer for Off-World Agency, rose from the table.

"We do your honor. We call Vivian Rykks to the stand."

Vivian entered, and the bailiff asked her if she swore to tell the truth.

"I do," she said raising a gloved hand, and then she took her seat.

"Miss Rykks, how long have you worked at OtherEarth, Inc.?"

"Five years."

"And what do you do there?"

"I offer healing services to our customers."

"You've helped many people from our world, including someone who's here today. Is that right?"

Vivian turned her glance to Xanatos.

"Yes, David Xanatos paid for my service in healing him and his family. And I did all that I could to help him."

Xanatos' gaze narrowed as he watched her.

"Where does your healing power come from?" Tompson asked.

"After living in this world, I, and others like me, learned how to generate it," Vivian said.

"You don't steal it from people in our world?"

"No, of course not."

"Does any share of the profits from OtherEarth, Inc. fund the Off-World Agency?"

"No. That would be inappropriate since they are exist to monitor our work."

"And how does the Off-World Agency monitor you and your coworkers?"

"They regularly visit our facility and interview our customers as well as those of us who work there. Sometimes they'll ask for additional information if any questions arise, and we always comply."

"Miss Rykks, I notice you are wearing gloves that cover your wrists and much of your arms. Would you remove them please?"

She did so, and he motioned for her to raise her arms for the jury, which she did. There was a gasp as people caught sight of the damaged skin on her arms.

"How did you get such injuries, Miss Rykks?"

"I was attacked by the monster Xanatos is hiding," Vivian said bitterly.

"You're certain this thing is in Mr. Xanatos' keeping?"

Xanatos' lead lawyer stood up at once.

"Objection, your honor. Mr. Xanatos is not on trial, nor is the person being raised in questions. This trial is about any negligence or over-stepping that the Off-World Agency is at fault for."

"Sustained," the judge said. "However, that does not mean that Mr. Xanatos will not be on trial in the future."

The prosecuting lawyer took his seat as Mr. Tompson returned to questioning Vivian.

"So the purpose of the Off-World Agency is to monitor the business of OtherEarth, Inc. Would you say that the Agency succeeds in doing this, Miss Rykks?"

"Yes."

"Does the Agency serve any other purposes?"

"To keep dangerous outsiders from our world off the streets where they can harm others," she said coldly.

"To your knowledge, have they been hindered from doing that?"

"Very much so. That is why I have been injured and Chase Farrows is dead."

One of the members of the audience suddenly rose and removed a coat and hat. Vivian's eyes widened.

"Careful, you're under oath, Vivian. That means they should be hearing the real reason you have those marks on your arms."

The judge banged his gavel.

"Order! No interruptions!"

But as the speaker stepped forward, it became more obvious that she was an outsider.

"Your honor, you might as well declare this whole thing a mistrial. It's not the Agency, or OtherEarth, Inc., or even Mr. Xanatos who's on trial. I'm the one this is really about."

Grace moved before the court and stopped as the bailiff rose to stand between her and the judge.

"It is her, the fugitive!" Roy McNabb confirmed as he stood up warily. "Call for the guards! Get everyone out!"

People started to rise in fear, but the judge banged his gavel again. And glancing at Vivian's pale face, the judge turned back to Grace.

"If you are the one they've been looking for, why would you interrupt this trial?"

"I'm not here to hurt anyone," Grace said holding her hands down and in front of her as if waiting to be handcuffed. "After the incident with the agency's device outside the Pittsburgh hockey stadium, I've lost my powers. Let McNabb check if he wants."

McNabb drew out a device and used it to scan her, but the reading came back negative. There was no sign of power at all though he tapped and shook the device.

"I don't want to be seized by the Agency and executed as others like me have been with no chance to defend themselves," Grace said. "If everyone else can be put on trial, why not me?"

The judge considered that for a moment before saying,

"Technically, that is not in my power to decide. The Off-World Agency has jurisdiction over all of those from your world."

"But their right to that jurisdiction is in question," Grace said. "That's what this trial that I've interrupted is about. So with such a matter still awaiting your ruling, I think you do have the right to decide whether I am taken into police custody or the custody of the Off-World Agency."

The judge nodded.

"Very well, I declare a recess for the current trial. And what is your name?"

"Grace Elloch."

"Bailiff, take Miss Elloch into custody. She will await further decisions under police supervision."

* * *

In a meeting room beside the courtroom, McNabb brought his fist down upon a table.

"This cannot be allowed! That thing has already caused too much destruction."

"That destruction was caused by your device," Xanatos said coolly.

"The device was only to be used to destroy her … instead she turned it into a bomb," McNabb argued.

Judge Larrick walked back into the room holding up a letter stamped with a distinguished seal.

"Enough of this debate, gentlemen. I have just received an order from my superiors to preside over the case of this outsider. They believe she must have a trial. Apparently there are several, including Mr. Xanatos, who wish to speak to her innocence."

He stepped aside and Wildwing walked through the door followed by Duke and Nosedive. McNabb's gaze narrowed as he caught sight of them.

"So, the ducks are in on this too. I will be speaking with Inspector Mulligan about his failure to incriminate you for your role in this catastrophe." And turning back the judge, he said, "It's not safe to let her have a public trial. You'll put everyone in danger by proceeding with this!"

"You scanned her powers yourself, didn't you?" the judge asked. "Anyway, enough of this has been dealt with in secret."

"The people of Anaheim and New York want answers," Wildwing insisted. "They no longer trust OtherEarth, Inc. … or your agency."

"How dare you? There is no proof except your wild accusations," McNabb insisted. "And if there was evidence of OtherEarth, Inc.'s wrongdoing, then of course our agency would have taken action."

Xanatos stepped forward.

"Mr. McNabb, trials are held to establish proof. I suggest you let us proceed, or you will be at fault for hindering the process."

The judge turned to the ducks and Xanatos.

"The trial begins tomorrow. I will have the outsider informed, so she can seek a defense lawyer."

"No need, your honor," Xanatos said. "My lawyers will be representing Miss Elloch."

"Your honor, may we speak with her?" Wildwing asked quickly.

"Briefly, and under the observations of guards," the judge agreed.

* * *

Grace was led out of a cell to a chair at a table in a private room. The guard bound her to the heavy table with a chain, and then another guard opened a door, and the three ducks entered. But the first guard raised his hand to keep them from coming too close, and they sat down in chairs on the far side of the table.

Their eyes widened with surprise and sympathy as they saw lines of weariness in her face and dark circles around her eyes. Her skin looked even more pale than usual, and it looked as though she had lost weight.

"I know. I've looked better," she said with a soft smile.

"You shouldn't have come out of hiding," Wildwing said, shaking his head. "You still haven't recovered your strength or your powers, have you?"

Grace shook her head.

"But I had enough strength to do this. And you know I had to. They were never going to listen if I couldn't show them that I wasn't the monster they were searching for."

"Are they feeding you here?" Duke asked. "Have they hurt you?"

"It's not them," Grace said, looking up at the guard beside her. "I've just had trouble eating since that night of the attack. I don't think my body believes it should still be alive."

Nosedive watched her with a worried glance.

"Isn't there anything we can do?"

"You're doing it," Grace assured him. "I wanted to see you again, and here you are. But if things go badly tomorrow, you must be careful. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"Grace, Xanatos said he still thinks there's a way for you to regain your power," Wildwing said.

Her gaze took on a hard edge with a cold light.

"No, don't even mention it. I will not hear it from you too."

Wildwing sighed and then closed his beak. Grace saw their desire to help her, and she softened again.

"Trust me one more time," she urged. "I am certain about what must be done."

Duke nodded.

"You've always got our trust, sweetheart."

* * *

In a hotel suite not far from the courtroom, Vivian and several of her colleagues from OtherEarth, Inc. sat together considering the new developments in court.

"If that fool has lost her powers, she won't be able to stand in our way anymore," one of them said.

"She could still ruin much by her questioning in court. If would have been better for us had she never dared to reveal herself," Vivian said as she paced around the room.

"You think they will listen to her?"

"Some might. Any questions or doubts cast against us is a victory for her. Our goal was to keep the attention, the hunt, on her as an elusive and dangerous fugitive, but now she's welcoming the spotlight."

"So what if things don't go our way tomorrow?"

Vivian stopped pacing and her expression hardened as a look of malice appeared in her eyes.

* * *

"The court has agreed to let Grace Elloch take the stand for questioning. The defense will ask questions first."

Grace followed the bailiff and took an oath to tell the truth. Xanatos' lead lawyer asked her questions to establish her identity and how she sought to try to help others. When he was finished, the prosecutor rose to take his turn.

"Miss Elloch, you claim that you remained in hiding only to help defend those from our world from the theft of energy committed by OtherEarth, Inc. Is that right?"

"I had some wish to preserve my own life as well," Grace admitted.

"Ah, yes, you claim you have knowledge of executions committed by the Off-World Agency. But I would remind the court that these claims have not yet been proven."

"If the Agency wishes to disprove them, have them produce the ones they took prisoner," Grace said coldly, and she turned her gaze to McNabb. "Where are Alex Farnoy and Jane Arnost if you didn't kill them?"

"Miss Elloch, this trial is about you now, remember?" Judge Larrick said.

"Yes, your honor. I merely wish to point out that I had reasons not to trust the Agency."

"Back to your claims about OtherEarth, Inc.," the prosecutor said. "How do we know it was not you causing the illness that beset Anaheim and New York? Even if you don't have the power now, you once did."

Grace listened quietly without speaking.

"How do we know that you did not create a problem that it appeared only you could solve, so as to make yourself indispensable to the Mighty Ducks … or the gargoyles, - and so you could continue to operate outside of the Agency's authority?"

"That is a good question," Grace admitted. "But if that is what I did, tell me this, why am I not profiting more from it? If all I received in return for helping the ducks and the gargoyles was protection, why didn't I just stay in hiding? I allowed the ducks to run tests on my powers, and I turned myself over to you as a prisoner. I am trying to be honest and open with all of you."

Grace nodded towards Vivian and the other outsiders with her.

"Those are the thieves you are looking for. And what tests or demands have you made of them? Do you even care that they demand millions for services that don't even last?"

"These questions are about you!" the prosecutor insisted, trying to get back to his point.

"There is nothing more for me to tell you about myself," Grace said with a firm tone. "But if you don't listen to what I have to say about those self-satisfied leeches, there will be nothing left of your world by the time they have finished draining it."

"All we have to condemn OtherEarth, Inc. is your word, and that's not good enough," the prosecutor argued.

"Then don't take my word for it," Grace said. "But test them yourselves. I can promise you that the Agency hasn't been doing enough to ensure your safety."

She turned and looked at the judge.

"Order the tests to be run, and you can do what you like with me."

The prosecutor was about to speak again, but the judge halted him. Grace could see that Judge Larrick was truly considering her words.

But Vivian stood up from the crowd in the court room and several others stood with her. The judge suddenly slumped in his chair, and several others in the courtroom began to fall to the ground. McNabb struggled to remain on his knees as he gaped in surprise at Vivian.

"What is this?"

"You failed us," she said coldly. "It appears we'll have to take control of this world by force."

Grace rose from the stand and hurried over to Xanatos and the ducks, who were also suffering under the attack.

"Stop this, Vivian!" she shouted. "You won't win this way. They'll have to destroy you when they learn about this."

"They can't stop us if we take control of things first," Vivian scoffed. "And now that you cannot stand in our way, no one can."

Grace faced her with a solemn gaze.

"This is your last warning, Vivian. Stop this …before action is taken against you."

Vivian glared at her and turned to Golott.

"Blast her."

But as Golott stepped forward, the walls of the courtroom began to crumble and the ceiling and roof was stripped away. As the park outside the courthouse was revealed, Vivian saw several figures standing around the exterior of the building.

"I thought I was the last," Grace said. "But there were others in hiding, like me. I saw them in a dream, and they reached out to me while I was injured. I knew they would come forward if only someone was willing to pave the way for them. And now that you've revealed yourselves, they don't have to hide in fear anymore. Everyone will know that you are the enemy, not us."

Golott backed down, but Vivian scowled and raised her hand towards Xanatos and the ducks. They groaned and fell all the way to the floor.

"Tell them to leave, or I'll kill him and all of the rest of these fools," Vivian said.

Grace clenched her fists, but she closed her eyes. The others standing around the courthouse began to step back slowly, but with rapid speed, a beam of light streaked over the ground and struck Grace.

When she opened her eyes, her eyes were blazing with light, and suddenly more beams from outside raced inside towards her. Grace raised her hands and cords of light shot out them and wrapped around Vivian, Golott, and their companions.

"If you can only wield power to harm others, then you must lose that power," Grace said.

The cords grew brighter as Vivian and the others from OtherEarth, Inc. cried out in anger, but in another moment, they vanished, and pieces of light floated down upon the ducks and the other victims in the courthouse. They began to recover and sit up slowly before rising to their feet.

Vivian and Golott had dropped to their knees as they looked at their hands.

"What have you done?!" Vivian shouted angrily.

"Spared your lives, but never again can you take power from others," Grace said as she helped the ducks and Xanatos up.

"And your power is back?" Xanatos asked.

Grace gestured to the outsiders standing beyond the courtroom.

"They gave it back to me as I promised to speak for them. You see, I didn't have to take it from your world after all."

Duke looked carefully at her face and smiled.

"You got your color back, kid. You look like your old self."

Grace stretched her arms and opened and closed her hands.

"Yes, I feel whole again. I'm healed, and now we're going to heal your world."


	16. Epilogue

Epilogue

Grace was able to obtain pardons for the other outsiders who had helped her, for they had all been unregistered and living in hiding like her. The outsiders from OtherEarth, Inc. though were all stripped of their powers and incarcerated for fraud among other charges. The Off-World Agency was dissolved, and the Mighty Ducks and Xanatos along with the gargoyles were tasked with organizing a better system to help outsiders adjust to life in their world.

The other outsiders were so grateful to Grace that she became their leader, and her powers soon returned to their former strength with the possibility that now they were even stronger. For now she had the ability to connect with any outsider who had any level of power, and so she helped to find others who felt lost and alone.

Grace's first goal was to heal anyone who had been drained by those from OtherEarth, Inc. Elisa and the other ducks were soon back on their feet. The gargoyles were also fully restored. And though she enjoyed her time in New York, Grace chose to keep her base in Anaheim with the ducks.

"You know you could live anywhere now," Mallory said with a laugh when Grace returned to them.

"But this feels like home," Grace said. "That is if you have no objections."

"How many times do we have to say we want you to stay?" Nosedive joked as he hit her on the back.

"We don't have to take in any other outsiders though, do we?" Wildwing asked.

Grace smiled and shook her head.

"They are happy in their new homes. You only have to put up with me."

"I have enough inner peace to do so," Grin said warmly.

"Very funny, big guy. But I was counting on your help with my training. I want to keep learning to use my powers effectively with your help."

Duke laughed.

"I think you might have surpassed your teachers, sweetheart."

Grace dropped her gaze, suddenly appearing a little uncertain.

"Well, you see, I was talking with the others, and we're all getting tired of the term 'outsiders.' Instead of living in your world and always feeling like we're on the outside of your society … some of us, uh, well, we want to find a way to be part of it."

"You _are_ part of it. You're a very important part of it," Tanya said.

"Well, with OtherEarth, Inc. defeated, you don't need us the same way you did before. And let's face it, I'm never going to be a part of the Anaheim community looking like this."

Grace gestured to herself, and the ducks looked at her in confusion.

"Are you talking about changing your appearance?" Wildwing asked.

Grace sighed and raised one arm above her like a ballerina striking a pose. Turning around, she moved and a light began to envelop her, and the ducks had to look away. When the light cleared, a duck of the same height stood in her place, wearing her clothes, with blonde hair and brown eyes flecked with gold.

The ducks stood with their beaks hanging open in surprise.

"It's only temporary right now," Grace said, her voice coming from the figure of the duck as she looked at them shyly. "I haven't decided to make it permanent yet. But some of others believe they want to become like certain inhabitants of your world. I'm taking this step to learn how to help them, and maybe ….well, maybe this is something I want."

"You'd give up being human?" Duke asked.

"I can't always be caught between two worlds," Grace said. "I've been thinking that I might want to embrace living in this one. And it's not so much losing something, as gaining something, don't you think?"

"Yeah, like gaining babehood," Nosedive said with a grin, and Mallory smacked the back of his head.

"I don't know Grace. You might not want to deal with some of the drakes on this team," she said with a teasing smile. "Maybe you're better off staying human."

The light appeared again, forcing them look away, and when they turned back, Grace was a human from that other Earth again.

"Well, I guess that's just one of the things I'll have to consider," she said with a smile. "Anyway, I'm going to give the change a try. But I don't know much about being a duck, so I'll need your help."

"Your truce with Dragaunus will certainly end if you decide to be a duck," Wildwing warned. "He won't let that slide, especially with the threat of OtherEarth, Inc. gone."

"It's not my goal to maintain friendships with Saurians. I'd rather know how you all feel about it."

Wildwing clamped his hand on his brother's beak before Nosedive gave his enthusiastic approval.

"I think Dive's made his feelings clear, and I won't speak for the others, but for me, it's an honor to have you want to be one of us. I'd be glad to have you on our team, duck or human."

The others nodded, and Duke added,

"You do what you want, sweetheart. This is your home now no matter what. But you'll make a swell duck if you choose that life."

Grace thanked them, and they shared a group hug.

"Hey, enough with the reunion!" Phil called out as he walked of the elevator. "You guys have a hockey game to get to!"

 **So this is where this story ends! If you're wondering if I might write a sequel, well, I might. I wasn't planning to, but the end of the story took a turn I wasn't expecting until I wrote it. So anyway, if you liked this story, please leave reviews. Your feedback is what encourages me to write.**


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